LAHORE: Stage is set for the by-elections in PP-168 today (Thursday) in which the PML-N, the major Opposition party still seems in a stronger position, though the PTI leadership claims otherwise.
The PML-N won this seat in July 25 general elections and its stalwart, and one of the NAB-hit politicians Kh Saad Rafique won from here with a huge margin. As per the Election Commission data, the total number of registered voters in the constituency is 126862 including 73701 male voters and 53161 female voters. This constituency comprises the areas like Ghazi Road, Chungi Amar Sadhu, parts of Saroba-Attari and historically it has served as a battleground between the PPP and the IJI in 1988-1990, between the PPP and the PML-N in 1997-99, the PML-N, the PMLQ and the PPP in 2002, 2008 and in 2013 and 2018 general elections, the PML-N had confronted the PTI. In 2018 general elections, the PTI became the only party which ended the winning streak of the PML-N in the last 25 years from Lahore on 12 seats of Lahore including four National Assembly and eight that of provincial assembly. However on this seat, the PML-N candidate Kh Saad Rafique won quite comfortably, though his party lost two NA seats under which the present PP-168 falls.
In the July 25 general elections, Saad won this seat bagging 34114 votes followed by PTI’s Fayyaz Bhatti, who secured 14940 votes. Sajid Mehmood of the TLP got 9408 votes followed by around 2400 votes of the PPP candidate Muhammad Maqbool. The PPP had already announced to support the PML-N.
For the 2018 by-polls, the PML-N awarded ticket to its worker Rana Khalid Mehmood Qadri, who, with full backing of his party has run a very robust election campaign.
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan candidate got over 9000 votes in the general elections and this silent vote bank could prove quite decisive in a close contest, though the PML-N envisages a smooth victory.
The advantage the PML-N in this constituency is its existing vote bank, its development narrative and the sympathy wave for the party leadership amongst the general voters of Lahore. After Nawaz and Shahbaz; Saad, the winner of this seat has also been arrested by the NAB and if it could create uncertainty amongst the party supporters at one hand, it will also prove beneficial for party while keeping in view the possible reaction of Lahorites which could be visible on ballot. “We have worked very hard, the party will prove its vote bank again,” said central PML-N leader and MNA Pervaiz Malik. Malik, who has also been heading the PML-N Lahore Chapter, stated that people had deep love for their leader Nawaz Sharif and this would once again be exhibited in the by-polls.
The PTI which has fielded Malik Asad Ali Khokhar has also been very active in the constituency to woo the voters. Though the PTI government is facing some disadvantages in form of its inability to control price hike, issues of governance, yet at the same time its advantages are being the ruling party, having control over state resources. Besides, the ‘biradari’ factor could also prove vital in the contest and party believes that on the basis of its campaign, the party would win the seat.
Talking to this correspondent, MNA Malik Zaheer Khokhar said ‘bat will be seen everywhere today’. He said the PTI had bright chances of winning the seat.
