Election fever grips Azizabad

Karachi
As the day of by-election approaches, old and new candidates flex their muscles to prepare for the battle on April 23.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Imran Ismail is a newer face in the customary fight between old rivals, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamat-e-Islami (JI), who are fielding seasoned leaders Kunwar Naveed Jamil and Rashid Nadeem respectively.
Though allies in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, neither the JI nor the PTI are willing to withdraw in each other’s support.
The constituency is full of flags, banners and posters from all three parties adorn walls and pillars.
As far as the party which has consistently won from the constituency, the MQM, it is confident about bagging the seat, opined its member of central executive committee Amin-ul-Haq.
He though the turnout in elections was usually low, the party was confident of its win.
On the other hand, in a rally staged by the PTI which emerged from Liaquatabad ended at Water Pump youngsters were seen dancing to party song “Dut key khara hai Imran Khan, Naya baneyga Pakistan”.
Speaking to the participants, Imran Ismail had said the party had conquered “no-go area” where nobody had dared to enter. Now, he said, people must see the change and be free of the fear unleashed by political terrorists.
Meanwhile, the JI’s women wing held a public gathering at Shahrah-e-Pakistan on Friday. It was the first time the party held an exclusive political event for women.