PESHAWAR: Pakistan´s oppositionTehreek-e-Insaf swept to a comfortable by-election victory on the edge ofthe northwestern city of Peshawar, though its majority wastrimmed by new hardline religious parties.
PTI candidate Arbab Amir Ayub clinched 45,631 votes, about34.8 percent of the total, on Thursday to ensure PTI kept theparliamentary seat in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)that it governs.
The by-election was seen as a litmus test of PTI´spopularity in KP, where it has focused on police, health andeducation reforms in contrast to the ruling Pakistan MuslimLeague-Nawaz (PML-N) party betting on road and energyinfrastructure projects.
Khan, the PTI chairman, touted the victory as a "direct voteof confidence" in his party´s performance governing KP since the2013 election, when it won the National Assembly seat, known asPeshawar NA-4, with a majority of about 40 percent.
The next general election is due in mid-2018 but Khan hascalled for early polls after PML-N leader and Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif was toppled in July by a Supreme Courtdisqualification over an undeclared source of income.
Analysts say Khan´s chances of becoming prime minister havebeen boosted by Sharif´s ouster, and the sportsman has doubled
down on his populist message by saying he will pull the countryaway from infrastructure spending towards improving schools,
hospitals and the lives of the poor.
"Most of the youngsters like Imran Khan and believe he cansteer the country out of crisis and stop corruption," said Zahid
Hussain, a government contractor.
Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Khushdil Khan secured24,830 votes, or 18.9 percent of the total, to pip PML-N´s Nasir
Khan Musazai, who won 23,169 votes to finish third.
Khushdil Khan´s showing will hearten the ANP, whosecandidates barely campaigned in 2013 as the Pakistani Taliban
targeted and killed many of its leaders and activists in KP.
But it was the performance of two new hardline religiousparties that caught the eye of political observers.
Muhammad Shafiq Ameeni, a candidate for the Tehreek-i-Labaikparty, won 7.6 percent of the ballot.
Syed Moharram Shah, a Labaik activist, said the party wassurprised it captured 9,060 votes because it wasn´t fullyprepared for the election.
"This is our first attempt but look at people´s response.It´s very much encouraging," he said.
Alhaj Liaqat Ali Khan, an independent candidate backed bythe Milli Muslim League (MML) party, loyal to Hafiz Saeed,obtained 3,557 votes.
Last month, candidates backed by Labaik and MML won about 11percent of the ballot in a by-election for Sharif´s vacated seat
in a by-election in the eastern city of Lahore.