Neck and neck contest expected between PML-N, PTI in Iqbal Town

LAHORE
A fierce fight of ballots is expected between Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Allama Iqbal Town on Saturday-the day of local government elections scheduled to be held on October 31, 2015.
The area of Allama Iqbal Town comprises over 30 union councils and more than 60 percent of this Town is rural and suburban localities. The urban areas in this Town are Mustafa Town, Johar Town, PIA Colony, Wapda Town, EME Colony, Wafaqi Colony and various blocks of Allama Iqbal Town, Clifton Colony, Muslim Town, Jodhpur, Ali Razaabad, Satukatla, Chuhng and Zamir Town while the suburban and rural areas are Hanjerwal, Shahpur, Niaz Beig, Thokar Niaz Beig, Maraka, Mohlanwal, Shamky Bhattian, Sultan Key, Manga and etc.
Candidates in majority of the Union Councils of this Town are from between two traditional rival groups of Khokhar family.
One group is headed by Afzal Khokhar while the other group is headed by Karamat Khokhar and Zaheer Abbas Khokhar.
Locals said around 90 percent of the union councils of this town come under the National Assembly’s constituency 128 from where Afzal Khokhar of PML-N was elected MNA in the general elections of 2013. The Town’s population is a mix of various clans but majority is Khokhar Biradari.
A survey of different union councils of this town revealed that candidates for Chairman and Vice-Chairman slots from both the PML-N and PTI have spent heavily on posters, banners and hoardings.
The candidates also provided full financial support to the residents for establishing election offices in their respective UCs.
The streets of this Town are buzzing with the allegations of change in voters lists and a large number of people complained that their votes have been shifted to other union councils without their consent and information.
Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, PTI’s stalwart while talking to The News said that documentary evidence had been provided to the Election Commission of Pakistan. Giving an example, he said that during the last three months about 4,000 new voters had been added to the lists of UC 109. He said similarly there were hundreds of thousands of individual examples that votes of people were removed from the UCs they are living in for the last several years.
Sarosh Ali, a resident of Johar Town said that her vote was transferred to NFC Society, which is very far away from her home.
She said her vote was registered in Township and in last general election; she cast her vote in UC 139, the area of her residence, but now when she checked her vote, it was transferred to UC 257. She said she had never applied for transfer of vote.
On the other hand, PML-N candidates termed these allegations a regular election stunt and said there were some individual cases only.
Asif Javed, a candidate said PTI was always criticising the election process and this time they had started propagating before elections because they knew Lahore was the home of PML-N.
Shakeel Ahmed, a resident of Manga said that the government machinery was working on the direction of PML-N candidates who have openly announced that no funds would be given to the candidates of any other party after elections.
Overall the atmosphere of the Town is full of energy and citizens are taking part in election activity.
There were banners erected by PML-N candidates thanking PML-N leadership for provision of a school, street, sewer line in their respective areas.