OKARA: The epic battle for NA-122, Lahore, by-poll being held on Oct 11, has overshadowed another neck-and-neck fight for NA-144 in Okara, scheduled to be held the same day.

Unlike NA-122, where the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the PML-N are leading the poll, the Okara constituency is mainly a fight between the ruling PML-N candidate, Ali Arif Chaudhry, and independent candidate Riazul Haq Juj.

In all, five main candidates are in the run. The PPP fielded former MNA Chaudhry Sajjadul Hasan, the PML-N Ali Arif Chaudhry (whose father Chaudhry Muhammad Arif was unseated some six weeks back by an election tribunal) and the PTI awarded ticket to Ashraf Sohna.

PML-N, independent candidates are neck and neck

Two independent candidates -- Mehr Abdul Sattar (general-secretary of Anjuman Mazareen Punjab) and Riaz Juj -- are also trying their luck.

PML-N’s Ali Arif is banking on the ruling party power and all-out support by allied MPA Mian Muhammad Munir and provincial minister Mian Yawar Zaman. His father has a strong relation with the constituents.

The PPP could have made a good show had it managed a patch-up between Sajjadul Hasan and Mehr Sattar who being a PPP candidate for PP-191 had secured 32,000 votes in the last general elections. He applied for the PPP ticket but the party went for Sajjadul Hasan.

As the election mania gripped the constituency, Riaz Juj emerged as the main contestant against the PML-N candidate. His family, called Nemat, has been doing welfare work in the area for a long time. Recently, Sajjadul Hasan and Mehr Sattar sat with Riaz Juj in a meeting by the Rajput clan at the residence of Rao Abdul Jabbar. Despite an extensive talk for two days, they could not strike a deal.

Insiders say PPP Punjab President Manzoor Wattoo did not allow the PPP candidate to withdraw his candidature in favour of Riaz Juj.

The local chapters of the Jamaat-i-Islami and the Pakistan Awami Tehrik and PTI MPA Masood Shafquat Rubera are also supporting Riaz Juj. Mr Rubera remained undeterred even though the party served on him a notice for violating party discipline.

PTI’s Ashraf Sohna geared up his campaign after PTI chief Imran Khan addressed a big gathering in Okara on Oct 7.

In the meeting, Imran himself said the PTI candidate in NA-122 would win the poll while their candidate in NA-144 would put up a good fight. It became the talk of the town that the PTI leadership was not hopeful about their success in Okara.

Like other parts of the country, the politics of Okara also runs around clans. In NA-144, Rajput and Arain are dominant. This time, however, there is no candidate representing the Rajput biradari, as four candidates belong to the Arain biradri.

Total registered votes are 316,370, of them 142,419 are women.

The Election Commission of Pakistan will set up 210 polling stations, of which 25 have been declared sensitive.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2015

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