PTI isolated in Senate polls

LAHORE : Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf has to go extra mile to win a single Senate seat from Punjab where neither of the other two main Opposition components in Punjab Assembly is ready to withdraw its candidate.

Without the complete support of PML-Q and PPP which have total 16 MPAs, eight each, in Punjab Assembly, it is an uphill task for PTI with 30 seats to clinch the Senate slot for which it has fielded former Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar.

Four independent MPAs are also siding with PTI. PML-Q has fielded Kamil Agha whereas PPP is in the run with Nawab Shehzad, son-in-law of Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo. Out of the total 12 seats from Punjab, PML-N is likely to make a clean sweep this time on the basis of its current strength in Punjab Assembly where it has a support of around 320 MPAs out of total 371.

In the House of 371, a candidate needs around 45 to 47 votes to win the slot and PTI in this way is facing a shortfall of 16 MPAs. PML-Q and PPP jointly constitute strength of 16 MPAs but with their own candidates in the contest, PTI’s only hope is to count on the votes of second and third priority and only even if any of the PML-N candidates fail to receive lesser votes under which priority vote principle is applied.

“How can they seek any vote from our MPAs, we will convince them to cast first, second and third priority vote to the party” said Senator Pervaiz Rasheed while talking to The News.

“I am the candidate from PML-Q and I am contesting the poll. So far there has been no decision of my withdrawal, neither I am going to withdraw" said Kamil Ali Agha, the retiring Senator of PML-Q who is also the party candidate. PTI chairman Imran Khan’s statement cursing the Parliament during a joint Opposition public gathering on The Mall in January has received serious flak from various political parties, including PPP. PPP seems in no mood to extend any support to PTI, particularly, after the recent episode when Imran Khan refused to share the same stage with Asif Ali Zardari during the Opposition show on The Mall, all chances of receiving any helping hand from PPP have diminished for PTI.

Moreover, another interesting aspect of the Senate poll being held this year is that PPP has fielded Nawab Shehzad, son-in-law of former Punjab Chief Minister and former PPP Central Punjab President Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo. Wattoo, having served as PA Speaker and chief minister for three terms, possesses a significant support among a number of sitting MPAs in Punjab. In the present PA, not only his son Khurrem Jehangir is a sitting MPA but he is also relative of Javed Iqbal Awan, the sitting treasury MPA from Khushab, whereas, his relationship with different noted political families of Southern Punjab could also bring him good support and may dent PTI. Moreover, the split within PTI ranks and lack of political sagacity exhibited by senior leaders of the party, including Chairman Imran Khan is also a key factor which may cast a negative impact on PTI’s poll campaign.

Recently, after the PTI announced Chaudhry Sarwar as the candidate, a meeting held at the office of Jehangir Khan Tareen, former secretary general of the party, and chaired by Imran Khan to discuss Senate poll strategy was held without the PTI Parliamentary Party.

Out of the total 30 MPAs of PTI who are the voters in Senate polls, only two, Sibtain Khan and Mumtaz Khan Bhachher, both from Mianwali, were invited to the meeting which, according to sources, have irked the rest of the sitting MPAs. A party MPA requesting anonymity told The News that all members deserved equal respect and the top leadership should take all the stakeholders into confidence over the Senate poll issue.

Shafqat Mehmood, PTI secretary information and the party's only elected MNA from Lahore, told The News that hopefully, the party would come up with a good result and negotiation with PML-Q and other parties were also underway for Senate polls.