ISLAMABAD: Former spymaster Brig (R) Ijaz Ahmed Shah, officially backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), earned the dubious distinction of losing election to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidates from National Assembly constituency NA-137 Nankana Saheb for the second consecutive time since 2013. On Saturday, just a day before the polling, PTI Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhry reiterated during a chat with reporters that his party was backing Shah, an independent candidate, as it did not want to cede space to the PML-N. “We have resolved not to participate in the by-elections. This is our principled stance but we will definitely back someone against the ruling party.” A supporter of the PTI, however, said the party did not extend full-fledged support to Ijaz Shah. Had PTI solidly stood behind Ijaz Shah, he would have definitely won the seat. The PTI had only sympathies with him, he said. In 2013, Shah had lost to Rai Mansab Ali Khan. This time the deceased legislator’s daughter, Dr Shuzra Mansab, fielded by the PML-N, routed him. Previously, Rai Mansab Ali, sponsored by the PML-N, had secured 61329 votes as against Shah’s 56050, thus having an edge of 5,279 votes over him. But this time difference is too big, 38,255 votes, compared to before. As per unofficial results of all the 256 polling stations of the constituency, Dr Shuzra bagged 77,890 votes and Shah secured 39,635 ballots. This obviously shows that Shah fared very poorly compared to the previous exercise although he had the PTI support this time.The PTI did not just verbally back him but actually campaigned for him. His posters, displayed in the constituency during the election campaign, carried his picture along with the photograph of Imran Khan. Shah officially associated with the PTI when he appeared on the shipping container with its chairman during its sit-in at the D-Chowk. In 2013, Shah, supported by some PML-N leaders, had made a serious attempt to get its sponsorship. But when the matter came up before party, the PML-N president, Nawaz Sharif had remarked that if he was to be awarded the sponsorship, then Pervez Musharraf should also be given the PML-N ticket. It is no secret that Shah, a very powerful intelligence officer for several years during Musharraf’s rule, had midwifed PML-Q at the behest of his boss. He was also in the election cell established by Musharraf for the 2008 polls, which, however, was rendered ineffective due to the intervention of the then army chief, General Ashfaque Pervez Kiyani, just to ensure that there is no hanky-panky in the electoral exercise. During his service in the intelligence agencies, Shah, who was also handler of Danial Pearl murderer Omar Sheikh, did a lot of development work for his hometown Nankana Saheb and had in fact had it become a district. He had also got his brother elected as district Nazim of Nankana Saheb. When Musharraf imposed martial law in October 1999, Shah was director of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Punjab. After some time, he was made home secretary of Punjab. Later, he was appointed as the chief of the Intelligence Bureau. Subsequently, he was appointed as Pakistan’s high commissioner to Australia, but he could not assume office as the Australia government had refused to accept his nomination due to his track record. Because of the confidence that Musharraf had in him, Shah’s name had also appeared in an email sent by an American friend of Benazir Bhutto to her, listing him as an accused along with some others, holding them responsible for the assassination. But he was never named in the FIR (First Information Report). During his intelligence services in the ISI and IB, he was considered as the most trusted crony of Musharraf.
