NA-125 still not an easy contest for PTI

LAHORE: The disqualification of Federal Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique by an election tribunal has come as a morale booster for PTI supporters who were disappointed after a defeat in cantonment polls.
Nevertheless, the PTI will have to go an extra mile to clinch win over the PML-N in case by-elections are called in NA-125 after de-notification of the seat by the Election Commission of Pakistan. PTI leaders including Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhry and General Secretary Dr Yasmin Rashid termed the decision the success of party’s struggle against the status quo.
In a press conference which was followed by a victory celebration attended by a number of party supporters, Ejaz Chaudhry said the PML-N leadership had no moral grounds to defend themselves after the verdict of the election tribunal. Chaudhry Sarwar, former Punjab Governor, in a statement also congratulated the entire nation on the decision. “The judicial commission has proved itself to be a just and fair body. PTI’s struggle has borne its fruits today,” he added.
The PML-N leadership on the other hand holds the view that it would consider all options including moving court or preferring to go for by-polls. In case by-elections are held, the party would contest the poll and regain the seat, claimed the PML-N leadership.
Despite the disqualification of Khawaja Saad Rafique, the winner of NA-125 in the 2008 and 2013 general elections, the party is once again likely to pitch him from the seat. Hamid Khan, the ticket holder of the PTI from the seat, is likely to come again but at the same time, there are many more aspirants within the party who are going to lobby for the ticket. However, keeping in view the performance of the PTI in the cantonment polls, the situation doesn’t seem to favour the PTI, like it was doing in 2013.
The recent local body polls which were held in Lahore Cantonment Board and Walton Cantonment Board, the area falling under NA-125, the PTI faced defeat on 15 seats out of total 20. The PTI won four seats out of 10 from Lahore Cantonment Board whereas it faced a whitewash in Walton where only one of its candidates, Faisal Hakim Bhatti, could emerge victorious and it lost 9 out of 10 seats.
Party insiders believe that there have been reasons behind the defeat in the polls, but one thing was obvious that the PTI was not as popular as it was in the 2013 general elections in Punjab as well as Lahore.
The popularity graph of the PTI dipped due to different reasons such as U turns of party Chairman Imran Khan over core issue like returning to the assemblies, only choosing to contest Senate polls from KP, neglecting party members over decision making etc. The anti-government rhetoric of Imran Khan during the Dharna and sudden diffusion of his fiery tirades against the government also annoyed most party members.
Moreover, internal ranks of the PTI which initially came to surface during intra-party polls, the dissolution of party’s own election tribunal after a hard-hitting report authored by a senior party member Justice (Retd) Wajihud Din, distribution of tickets during the recent Cantonment polls are key issues which have damaged to the party. Besides, differences between local leaders of Lahore will also hit the PTI in the upcoming NA-125 by-polls. The PTI leaders, however, believe it would carry the day and defeat the PML-N whenever polls were held.