GUJRAT: In a surprising result, the PML-N former federal minister Ms Saira Afzal Tarrar was defeated in NA-87 by her arch rival Shaukat Ali Bhatti of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf by a close margin, despite the division in Mehdi Bhatti group, as the PTI candidate’s paternal uncle Liaqat Abbas Bhatti, a former federal minister, was also in the run from the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) platform for the only National Assembly seat of Hafizabad district.

According to unofficial results of NA-87 (Hafizabad), Shaukat Bhatti got 165,718 votes against Ms Saira Tarrar’s 157,453, while Liaqat Bhatti of the TLP took 44,130 votes and the PPP’s Ms Allah Rakhi could get only 3,396 votes.

The district previously had two NA seats (NA-102 and NA-103), which have now been merged into a single NA seat (NA-87). The seats’ merger caused division in Mehdi Bhatti group. As a result Shahukat Bhatti, son of former MNA Mehdi Hassan Bhatti got the PTI ticket, while his paternal uncle Liaqat Bhatti went for the TLP ticket for the constituency.

The Hafizabad district has traditionally been a political battleground for rivals Afzal Tarrar group of the PML-N and Mehdi Bhatti group that joined the PTI after trying the PPP, the PML-Q and the PML-N in the past.

Given this division in the rival camp, Ms Saira Tarar had a clear edge in the July 25 poll, but she failed to translate it into electoral victory and the seat was clinched by the PTI candidate.

The PML-N too faced a similar situation in the district as ex-MNA Shahid Hussain Bhatti also wanted to contest from NA-87 but the party awarded the ticket to Ms Saira Tarar. However, Mr Bhatti was given ticket from PP-69 (Jalalpur Bhatian-Wanike Tarrar) but he lost the provincial assembly seat to the PTI’s Mamoon Jaafar Tarrar.

Out of three Punjab Assembly seats of the district, the PTI won two -- PP-69 and PP-71, while the PML-N could clinch only PP-70 (Hafizabad city).

PP-70 was won by Dr Sheikh Muzaffar of the PML-N who defeated ex-MPA Malik Fayaz Awan of the PTI.

PP-71 (Pindi Bhattian) seat was won by the PTI’s Ahsan Jahangir Bhatti (47,480 votes), a nephew of ex-MPA Mian Intisar Bhatti, whose wife Nighat Intisar had won as a PTI candidate in a by-election some three years ago.

In the constituency, TLP’s candidate and ex-MPA Pir Shoaib Shah Nawaz was runner-up by securing 31,037 votes. PML-N’s Shoaib Shafique got 28,706 votes.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2018