Humayun intensifies poll drive

FAISALABAD: Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party leader Humayun Akhtar Khan’s entry into NA-97 as a candidate created a stir in the politics of Tandlianwala Tehsil.

Consisting of Tandlianwala City, Mamun Kanjan City, Jhamra, Pindi Sheikh Musa Garh, and other adjacent areas, this constituency is considered the most backward constituency in Faisalabad.

In this constituency for the last several decades, candidates belonging to the same biradari have been competing with each other by changing political parties. However, the senior leader of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, Humayun Akhtar, instead of biradari or personal relationships, has made the provision of basic facilities, including education and health, in the constituency and solving the problems faced by the farmers the main point of his election campaign.

The people of the constituency said that they had no alternative option in the past, due to which they were forced to vote because of biradari or personal connection, but now they will vote for a candidate based on performance.

It should be noted that in the past, the candidates who were members of the assembly from this constituency had faced severe criticism in political and public circles, including social media, for not doing construction and development work in the constituency and not solving the problems faced by the common people.

In these circumstances, the vigorous election campaign of Humayun Akhtar has further disturbed his political opponents.

He formally launched his election campaign with a large workers’ convention in which a large number of important political figures from the constituency participated.

Looking at his public acceptance, the candidate of PP-102 belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Sikandar Hayat Jatoi, has also joined his camp, while another important figure belonging to PP-103 and former MPA may announce his support in the next few days.

Ali Gohar Baloch, who became an MNA from here on the ticket of the Pakistan Muslim League-N in the last general elections, is currently facing competition from his late brother Rajab Baloch’s widow Ayesha Rajab Baloch for the party ticket.

Ayesha Rajab has also been an MNA on the reserved seat for women in the previous National Assembly, but this time the party has not included her name in the list of reserved seats for women, due to which she wants to contest the election in any case.

Similarly, Ali Gohar Baloch also wants to contest the election from this constituency, which will inevitably benefit Humayun Akhtar.

The expected candidate of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf from this constituency, Saadullah Baloch, had participated in the last election, but he could not win the election even during the heyday of the PTI.

Another candidate expected by the PTI is Ahsan Riaz Fatiana; although his nomination papers have been approved, he is still missing from the public scene to avoid arrest for his involvement in the May 9 incidents.

Former MNA Shahadat Balooch’s son Nadeem Shahadat Balooch and his sister Raheela Shahadat Balooch have submitted nomination papers from this constituency on behalf of the Pakistan People’s Party.

However, in the past two elections, the average number of votes received by the PPP candidate from this constituency was limited to 22,000 to 23,000. So, in the current situation, Humayun Akhtar Khan is in a better position as compared to other candidates.