MUZAFFARGARH: Awami Raj Party Chairman Jamshed Dasti has withdrawn from the election race from NA-183 and has announced his support for independent candidate, Mian Fiaz Chajra, in the constituency.

Two days ago when Dasti visited Budh Railway Station as part of his election campaign, a barber confronted him and asked why he had stepped down from NA-183 after winning it in the 2013 elections with 103,000 votes. The barber asked him what became of his slogan to represent the poor whose leader he claimed to be.

Malik Ghulam Raza Rabbani Khar is contesting as a PPP candidate for NA-183 and seemed to be in a strong position. Former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar had contested from this constituency in 2008 and won. This time, the PPP has assured her of a reserved seat so she is not contesting the polls.

Independent candidate Mian Tariq Ahmad Gurmani, a former MPA, is contesting for NA-183 on the symbol of ‘jeep’ with the support of his nephew Mian Zeeshan Gurmani, a former PML-N MPA. Mian Tariq claimed he was popular and the results will be in his favour.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidate here, Malik Rafique Khar, is contesting elections after 11 years. He was a tehsil nazim in Kot Addu during the PML-Q government and claimed he had been cleared from the National Accountability Bureau in corruption cases against him.

Dasti is focusing only on the other seat he was contesting, NA-182, as it is his native constituency. Here, PPP candidate Mehr Irshad Sial is popular and in a strong position.

On Sunday night, Sardar Ziaullah Jatoi, a PTI candidate for PP-279, faced tough questions from voters during a corner meeting. His brother, Sardar Moazzam Jatoi, is a PTI candidate for NA-185. The voters asked him to share details of projects and works they had undertaken during their 15-year rule in this constituency. The Jatois could not respond to the questions and left.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2018