05:29
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LAHORE
After years of one-sided encounters, PML-N will have to put its maximum weight to defend NA-122 due to the possible presence of PTI Chairman Imran Khan which may end one winning streak of N.
People of the constituency believe that unlike the last couple of encounters, not a one-sided match is expected in NA-122 where PTI chairman is likely to combat his own former party man of 1997 and two time winner of this seat, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. Ayaz Sadiq, currently the Chairman of National Assembly Standing Committee for Railways won the election battle against Imran Khan in 2002 and also emerged victorious with nearly 80,000 votes, largest by any candidate in Lahore then.
PPP, which most of the time remained runner up from this seat, apparently seems at number three position due to the multiple reasons but it is likely to field Omar Misbah or Yasmeen Misbah-ur-Rehman from the slot. NA-122, LHR V is a constituency which possesses great historic significance as it comprises the areas from where noted political figures of the country including, PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and Imran Khan had contested. The present area of NA-122 was carved out by bifurcating mainly two previous constituencies including NA-94 and NA-98.
The areas including Garhi Shahu, Baja Lines, Mayo Garden, Zaman Park, ample area of canal road have been taken from previous NA-94 whereas Shadman, Shah Jamal, GOR, Ichhra, Rehmanpura, Samanabad, decent part of Multan Road have been included from previous NA-98.
Two important religious centres including Jamia Naeemia and Jamia Ashrafia, which, however represent two different schools of thought religiously but are likeminded politically also fall in the NA-122 as they have shown visible tilt towards PML-N in different polls held previously.
The areas including Garhi Shahu, Mayo Garden, Baja Lines etc pertained to previous NA-94 from where PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter Benazir Bhutto won their elections in 1970 and 1988 respectively.
Both these figures became Prime Minister after winning from here, though vacated the seat. Besides, Imran Khan, the founder of PTI which according to his party supporters is also the most potential and appropriate figure for the slot of next PM has also contested from NA-94 in 1997 and later in 2002 when it became NA-122.
Although he lost both the elections, yet the PTI supporters believe that results would be different this time as like other urban centres, city of Lahore is also going to prove itself a strong hub of PTI.
The PML-N on the other hand envisages a different situation and believes that like 1990, 1993, 1997, 2002 and 2008 elections, the city of Lahore as well as this constituency would also prove the stronghold of PML-N. The area of present NA-122 has been a battle ground between Muslim League and Pakistan People’s Party for most of the time but now PTI has emerged as a main rival of PML-N from the constituency. Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf is expected to contest this third poll from this seat and second against his own former party man of 1997 Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
History shows that since 1989, Muslim League under the banner of Islami Jamhuri Ittehad and later as full-fledged PML-N emerged victorious mostly from the areas falling under present NA-122 or previous NA-94 and NA-98. In 1988 elections, slain PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto won from this constituency and defeated IJI candidate Mian Umer Hayat. Both the MPAs falling under the National Assembly seat including Khalid Latif Kardar and Sardar Zafar Iqbal also won comfortably from the provincial seats. However, Benazir Bhutto vacated it as she retained the NA seat of Larkana. In by-elections, the IJI candidate Mian Umer Hayat of Baghbanpura won the election and emerged victorious over PPP candidate Mohammad Rafi.
In the 1990 elections, PPP pitched Salman Taseer from this seat and IJI came up with Mian Umer Hayat who once again emerged victorious from this seat.
By 1993, Mian Umer Hayat joined PPP but died just a few months before the elections.
PPP once again fielded Salman Taseer from NA-94 and PML-N came up with Mian Abdul Waheed. After a tight fight, Mian Abdul Waheed of PML-N won the seat.
The match between PML-N and PPP remained one-sided in 1997 elections from where Tariq Aziz, renowned TV anchor won as ‘N’ candidate.
PPP fielded Misbah-ur-Rehman and PTI Chairman Imran Khan pitched himself from the seat but both lost to Tariq Aziz. Almost same election record is witnessed in previous NA-98 which was later merged into NA-122. From NA-98 which comprised of the areas like Rehmanpura, Icchra, ample part of Ferozepur Road, Ponch Road, Chauburji etc, anti-PPP forces won all the elections in the period between 1988 to 1997. In 1988, member of Jamaat-e-Islami and IJI candidate Mian Mohammad Usman emerged victorious over PPP’s Sheikh Mohammad Rasheed. Mian Usman also won in 1990 polls and in 1993, after the formation of PML-N, Mian Munir, a former councillor was awarded the ticket by Nawaz Sharif. Mian Munir won the election against PPP Mian Khalid Saeed and JI candidate Ejaz Chaudhry, who contested on the platform of Pakistan Islamic Front stood at number three.
In the 1997 elections, Mian Munir remained victorious once again. This is interesting to note that Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the sitting MNA of NA-122 contested election on a provincial seat in 1997 as a PTI candidate and Imran, his leader then was contesting on the National Assembly seat then. Both of them lost election but Ayaz Sadiq, a former Aitchisonian and a close friend of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan later joined PML-N.
After the formation of new constituencies in 2002, these areas were included in NA-122 from where PML-N camp up with Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, PPP with former MPA Chaudhry Ghulam Qadir and PTI with Imran Khan.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was also fielded from a provincial seat falling under NA-122 which was PP-147. The election remained one-sided as Sardar Ayaz Sadiq won from both NA and PP seats with decent margins.
On the NA seat, Ayaz secured first position with 37,531 votes, Imran Khan stood second with 18,638 and PPP candidate Chaudhry Ghulam Qadir remained at number three with 17,561 votes. PML-Q candidate, former IG Punjab and close relative of Akhter Rasool, a five-time former MPA from previous PP-128 (falling under present PP-148) stood at number four with 12,605 votes. In the 2008 elections which were held amid boycott of PTI, PML-N fielded Sardar Ayaz again, PPP came up with Omar Misbah and PML-Q pitched Mian Jehangir.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq won the election while getting 79,506 votes and next to him was Omar Misbah who got nearly 24,000 votes. PML-Q candidate stood at number three with nearly 10,000 votes. For the upcoming general elections, PML-N is expected to field Ayaz Sadiq and till date, Imran Khan is expected to contest again from this seat. In case Imran prefers to choose a new constituency for himself, Ejaz Chaudhry, a former JI ticket holder and now a PTI member is also expected to be fielded from here. Local people believe PML-N and PTI as two major contestants from this seat and myth related with split of votes favouring PPP like past seems to have ceased.
According to PML-N members, the advantage it is enjoying from this seat include traditionally the strong vote bank of the party, return of many rebels to the party folds, development work like long pending project of sewage laying in Allama Iqbal Road, and above all, the support from a huge bulk of population associated with Railways. There are four union councils in NA-122 which totally falls in the area of Pakistan Railways and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, as an MNA and mainly as Chairman of Standing Committee for Railways have gained significant strength to the vote bank, which was traditionally inclined towards PPP till 2002.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, as a Chairman of Railway Standing Committee earned the credit of regularising nearly 5,000 employees, out of which, nearly 3,000 belonged to his own area and this is also going to be a positive factor in favour of PML-N, believe party workers.
Besides, 690 people falling in the category whose parents died during service were also regularised due to the efforts of the PML-N MNA, say party supporters. The PML-N has somehow managed to address the issue of gas supply to the members living in different Railway quarters as according to party supporters, due to non-payment of bills by Railways, gas supply to the residents used to face. This problem was also solved when the issue was taken up in the Standing Committee and according to local people, the issue of thousands of people were also solved who were paid after the party MNA raised the issue in quarters concerned.
Ayaz Sadiq while talking to The News said that he was thankful to the people who showed confidence in him and got him elected two times from National Assembly and one time from the provincial assembly seat between 2002 and 2008.
He stated that apart from carrying out several development projects like construction of roads, laying of sewage pipelines, setting up of filtration plants, filling up the pools of stagnant waters etc, he was happy to serve the people associated with Railways with utmost dedication. Ayaz Sadiq told The News that as a Chairman of the Standing Committee for Railways, he took up the case of thousands of people, including poor labourers, workers, orphans, widows who were deprived of their rights previously. He also said that the issue related with minimum wages of workers, labourers was also a big challenge for him but he pleaded their case and got successful. He said there were also cases of delayed promotions of the Railway employees and he worked strenuously for the redressal of their grievance, and finally this issue was also a success story.
Ayaz Sadiq also said that there were several important issues related with recovery, payment of billions of rupees to Railways including that of Royal Palm, purchase of obsolete locomotives, pig iron issue, theft of diesel about which he moved to NAB through SC, both of whose role, indeed, he said was remarkable. He said he did his best for serving the people of his area, the institutions and all he could do as an elected member of the constituency. “The PML-N will continue its winning streak in the polls,” said Ayaz Sadiq.
Significance of provincial seats
The provincial seats, however, according to local people will play a very significant role in the combat and may influence the results of the National Assembly seats. Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in 2002 elections won the National and a Provincial Assembly seat, and was the only man after Khawaja Sa’ad to have performed that way. On the provincial seats, PTI is likely to pitch a former MPA from PP-147 Abdul Aleem Khan. Abdul Aleem Khan won the seat on PML-Q ticket in the by-poll after it was vacated by Sardar Ayaz. Abdul Aleem Khan, like all other PML-Q candidates from Lahore lost the election from Mohsin Latif.
Mohsin Latif was fielded from PP-147 as PML-N candidate and his only credentials was his relationship with Sharif family due to which he won the election comfortably. For the next elections with PTI contesting with Imran Khan on National Assembly seat and Aleem Khan on the provincial, PML-N have to make some crucial decisions, believe its workers. Almost similar situation prevails in PP-148 where PML-N candidate Hafiz Nauman won with big margin in 2008 which was obviously a result of the return of PML-N leadership from exile to country, which mobilised the voters, organisations very well.
Now according to sources, some senior figures of party from PP-148 also pose some reservations towards Hafiz Nauman which they believe are due to their lack of coordination from the MPA side. This seat is also important politically because from here, Chaudhry Aslam Iqbal, a former Nazim, MPA and eventually a provincial minister is likely to make a come back.
Aslam Iqbal, a former worker of PML-N MPA Akhter Rasool got elected as Nazim in 2001 Local Government elections. In 2002 polls, he contested as an independent candidate and defeated PPP as well as PML-N-MMA candidates with big margins.
In 2008 elections, he contested on PML-Q ticket and lost. Now he has shown some movement as a would-be candidate from the seat. At present, he hasn’t announced to quit PML-Q or join any party like PML-N or PTI. In case, he remains associated with PML-Q, he may have the support of PPP due to the seat adjustments formula. On the other hand, in case he joins PTI, PML-N would have to show very serious work from this seat as with Imran contesting on NA and Aleem Khan and Aslam Iqbal contesting on provincial seats as PTI candidates could influence the election results. PML-N members on the other hand believe that in the presence of Sharifs in the election campaign, voters will certainly vote for PML-N on all the three seats. In case Aslam Iqbal doesn’t join PTI, Mian Akram Usman, son of former MNA Mian Usman is also expected as PTI candidate.
Abdul Aleem Khan, the possible candidate of PTI from PP-147 while talking to The News said what happened in 2008 was a history and now it was a new Pakistan. He said people of the country were willing to bring change and under Imran Khan this would become a possibility. Regarding the work to his credits, he said that as an elected member from PP-147, he carried out record development in the constituency. He said that most of the roads which were dilapidated, unconstructed and in shabby state were made, repaired.
Moreover, he said he also paid special focus on awarding of ownership rights to a huge population of the area in which he was also successful. He said no one could block the way of change now and next elections would prove it.
After years of one-sided encounters, PML-N will have to put its maximum weight to defend NA-122 due to the possible presence of PTI Chairman Imran Khan which may end one winning streak of N.
People of the constituency believe that unlike the last couple of encounters, not a one-sided match is expected in NA-122 where PTI chairman is likely to combat his own former party man of 1997 and two time winner of this seat, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. Ayaz Sadiq, currently the Chairman of National Assembly Standing Committee for Railways won the election battle against Imran Khan in 2002 and also emerged victorious with nearly 80,000 votes, largest by any candidate in Lahore then.
PPP, which most of the time remained runner up from this seat, apparently seems at number three position due to the multiple reasons but it is likely to field Omar Misbah or Yasmeen Misbah-ur-Rehman from the slot. NA-122, LHR V is a constituency which possesses great historic significance as it comprises the areas from where noted political figures of the country including, PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and Imran Khan had contested. The present area of NA-122 was carved out by bifurcating mainly two previous constituencies including NA-94 and NA-98.
The areas including Garhi Shahu, Baja Lines, Mayo Garden, Zaman Park, ample area of canal road have been taken from previous NA-94 whereas Shadman, Shah Jamal, GOR, Ichhra, Rehmanpura, Samanabad, decent part of Multan Road have been included from previous NA-98.
Two important religious centres including Jamia Naeemia and Jamia Ashrafia, which, however represent two different schools of thought religiously but are likeminded politically also fall in the NA-122 as they have shown visible tilt towards PML-N in different polls held previously.
The areas including Garhi Shahu, Mayo Garden, Baja Lines etc pertained to previous NA-94 from where PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter Benazir Bhutto won their elections in 1970 and 1988 respectively.
Both these figures became Prime Minister after winning from here, though vacated the seat. Besides, Imran Khan, the founder of PTI which according to his party supporters is also the most potential and appropriate figure for the slot of next PM has also contested from NA-94 in 1997 and later in 2002 when it became NA-122.
Although he lost both the elections, yet the PTI supporters believe that results would be different this time as like other urban centres, city of Lahore is also going to prove itself a strong hub of PTI.
The PML-N on the other hand envisages a different situation and believes that like 1990, 1993, 1997, 2002 and 2008 elections, the city of Lahore as well as this constituency would also prove the stronghold of PML-N. The area of present NA-122 has been a battle ground between Muslim League and Pakistan People’s Party for most of the time but now PTI has emerged as a main rival of PML-N from the constituency. Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf is expected to contest this third poll from this seat and second against his own former party man of 1997 Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
History shows that since 1989, Muslim League under the banner of Islami Jamhuri Ittehad and later as full-fledged PML-N emerged victorious mostly from the areas falling under present NA-122 or previous NA-94 and NA-98. In 1988 elections, slain PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto won from this constituency and defeated IJI candidate Mian Umer Hayat. Both the MPAs falling under the National Assembly seat including Khalid Latif Kardar and Sardar Zafar Iqbal also won comfortably from the provincial seats. However, Benazir Bhutto vacated it as she retained the NA seat of Larkana. In by-elections, the IJI candidate Mian Umer Hayat of Baghbanpura won the election and emerged victorious over PPP candidate Mohammad Rafi.
In the 1990 elections, PPP pitched Salman Taseer from this seat and IJI came up with Mian Umer Hayat who once again emerged victorious from this seat.
By 1993, Mian Umer Hayat joined PPP but died just a few months before the elections.
PPP once again fielded Salman Taseer from NA-94 and PML-N came up with Mian Abdul Waheed. After a tight fight, Mian Abdul Waheed of PML-N won the seat.
The match between PML-N and PPP remained one-sided in 1997 elections from where Tariq Aziz, renowned TV anchor won as ‘N’ candidate.
PPP fielded Misbah-ur-Rehman and PTI Chairman Imran Khan pitched himself from the seat but both lost to Tariq Aziz. Almost same election record is witnessed in previous NA-98 which was later merged into NA-122. From NA-98 which comprised of the areas like Rehmanpura, Icchra, ample part of Ferozepur Road, Ponch Road, Chauburji etc, anti-PPP forces won all the elections in the period between 1988 to 1997. In 1988, member of Jamaat-e-Islami and IJI candidate Mian Mohammad Usman emerged victorious over PPP’s Sheikh Mohammad Rasheed. Mian Usman also won in 1990 polls and in 1993, after the formation of PML-N, Mian Munir, a former councillor was awarded the ticket by Nawaz Sharif. Mian Munir won the election against PPP Mian Khalid Saeed and JI candidate Ejaz Chaudhry, who contested on the platform of Pakistan Islamic Front stood at number three.
In the 1997 elections, Mian Munir remained victorious once again. This is interesting to note that Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the sitting MNA of NA-122 contested election on a provincial seat in 1997 as a PTI candidate and Imran, his leader then was contesting on the National Assembly seat then. Both of them lost election but Ayaz Sadiq, a former Aitchisonian and a close friend of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan later joined PML-N.
After the formation of new constituencies in 2002, these areas were included in NA-122 from where PML-N camp up with Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, PPP with former MPA Chaudhry Ghulam Qadir and PTI with Imran Khan.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was also fielded from a provincial seat falling under NA-122 which was PP-147. The election remained one-sided as Sardar Ayaz Sadiq won from both NA and PP seats with decent margins.
On the NA seat, Ayaz secured first position with 37,531 votes, Imran Khan stood second with 18,638 and PPP candidate Chaudhry Ghulam Qadir remained at number three with 17,561 votes. PML-Q candidate, former IG Punjab and close relative of Akhter Rasool, a five-time former MPA from previous PP-128 (falling under present PP-148) stood at number four with 12,605 votes. In the 2008 elections which were held amid boycott of PTI, PML-N fielded Sardar Ayaz again, PPP came up with Omar Misbah and PML-Q pitched Mian Jehangir.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq won the election while getting 79,506 votes and next to him was Omar Misbah who got nearly 24,000 votes. PML-Q candidate stood at number three with nearly 10,000 votes. For the upcoming general elections, PML-N is expected to field Ayaz Sadiq and till date, Imran Khan is expected to contest again from this seat. In case Imran prefers to choose a new constituency for himself, Ejaz Chaudhry, a former JI ticket holder and now a PTI member is also expected to be fielded from here. Local people believe PML-N and PTI as two major contestants from this seat and myth related with split of votes favouring PPP like past seems to have ceased.
According to PML-N members, the advantage it is enjoying from this seat include traditionally the strong vote bank of the party, return of many rebels to the party folds, development work like long pending project of sewage laying in Allama Iqbal Road, and above all, the support from a huge bulk of population associated with Railways. There are four union councils in NA-122 which totally falls in the area of Pakistan Railways and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, as an MNA and mainly as Chairman of Standing Committee for Railways have gained significant strength to the vote bank, which was traditionally inclined towards PPP till 2002.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, as a Chairman of Railway Standing Committee earned the credit of regularising nearly 5,000 employees, out of which, nearly 3,000 belonged to his own area and this is also going to be a positive factor in favour of PML-N, believe party workers.
Besides, 690 people falling in the category whose parents died during service were also regularised due to the efforts of the PML-N MNA, say party supporters. The PML-N has somehow managed to address the issue of gas supply to the members living in different Railway quarters as according to party supporters, due to non-payment of bills by Railways, gas supply to the residents used to face. This problem was also solved when the issue was taken up in the Standing Committee and according to local people, the issue of thousands of people were also solved who were paid after the party MNA raised the issue in quarters concerned.
Ayaz Sadiq while talking to The News said that he was thankful to the people who showed confidence in him and got him elected two times from National Assembly and one time from the provincial assembly seat between 2002 and 2008.
He stated that apart from carrying out several development projects like construction of roads, laying of sewage pipelines, setting up of filtration plants, filling up the pools of stagnant waters etc, he was happy to serve the people associated with Railways with utmost dedication. Ayaz Sadiq told The News that as a Chairman of the Standing Committee for Railways, he took up the case of thousands of people, including poor labourers, workers, orphans, widows who were deprived of their rights previously. He also said that the issue related with minimum wages of workers, labourers was also a big challenge for him but he pleaded their case and got successful. He said there were also cases of delayed promotions of the Railway employees and he worked strenuously for the redressal of their grievance, and finally this issue was also a success story.
Ayaz Sadiq also said that there were several important issues related with recovery, payment of billions of rupees to Railways including that of Royal Palm, purchase of obsolete locomotives, pig iron issue, theft of diesel about which he moved to NAB through SC, both of whose role, indeed, he said was remarkable. He said he did his best for serving the people of his area, the institutions and all he could do as an elected member of the constituency. “The PML-N will continue its winning streak in the polls,” said Ayaz Sadiq.
Significance of provincial seats
The provincial seats, however, according to local people will play a very significant role in the combat and may influence the results of the National Assembly seats. Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in 2002 elections won the National and a Provincial Assembly seat, and was the only man after Khawaja Sa’ad to have performed that way. On the provincial seats, PTI is likely to pitch a former MPA from PP-147 Abdul Aleem Khan. Abdul Aleem Khan won the seat on PML-Q ticket in the by-poll after it was vacated by Sardar Ayaz. Abdul Aleem Khan, like all other PML-Q candidates from Lahore lost the election from Mohsin Latif.
Mohsin Latif was fielded from PP-147 as PML-N candidate and his only credentials was his relationship with Sharif family due to which he won the election comfortably. For the next elections with PTI contesting with Imran Khan on National Assembly seat and Aleem Khan on the provincial, PML-N have to make some crucial decisions, believe its workers. Almost similar situation prevails in PP-148 where PML-N candidate Hafiz Nauman won with big margin in 2008 which was obviously a result of the return of PML-N leadership from exile to country, which mobilised the voters, organisations very well.
Now according to sources, some senior figures of party from PP-148 also pose some reservations towards Hafiz Nauman which they believe are due to their lack of coordination from the MPA side. This seat is also important politically because from here, Chaudhry Aslam Iqbal, a former Nazim, MPA and eventually a provincial minister is likely to make a come back.
Aslam Iqbal, a former worker of PML-N MPA Akhter Rasool got elected as Nazim in 2001 Local Government elections. In 2002 polls, he contested as an independent candidate and defeated PPP as well as PML-N-MMA candidates with big margins.
In 2008 elections, he contested on PML-Q ticket and lost. Now he has shown some movement as a would-be candidate from the seat. At present, he hasn’t announced to quit PML-Q or join any party like PML-N or PTI. In case, he remains associated with PML-Q, he may have the support of PPP due to the seat adjustments formula. On the other hand, in case he joins PTI, PML-N would have to show very serious work from this seat as with Imran contesting on NA and Aleem Khan and Aslam Iqbal contesting on provincial seats as PTI candidates could influence the election results. PML-N members on the other hand believe that in the presence of Sharifs in the election campaign, voters will certainly vote for PML-N on all the three seats. In case Aslam Iqbal doesn’t join PTI, Mian Akram Usman, son of former MNA Mian Usman is also expected as PTI candidate.
Abdul Aleem Khan, the possible candidate of PTI from PP-147 while talking to The News said what happened in 2008 was a history and now it was a new Pakistan. He said people of the country were willing to bring change and under Imran Khan this would become a possibility. Regarding the work to his credits, he said that as an elected member from PP-147, he carried out record development in the constituency. He said that most of the roads which were dilapidated, unconstructed and in shabby state were made, repaired.
Moreover, he said he also paid special focus on awarding of ownership rights to a huge population of the area in which he was also successful. He said no one could block the way of change now and next elections would prove it.
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