BAHAWALPUR: The election in NA-174 (Bahawalpur-V) will be a test of popularity of the Abbasis -- the former ruling family of the defunct state -- among Seraiki-speaking people, as Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi has fielded his son Prince Bahawal Abbasi as an independent candidate in the constituency mainly comprising areas of Dera Nawab Sahib, Ahmedpur East, Uch Sharif and Channigoth against step brothers Makhdum Samiul Hassan Gilani of the PTI and Makhdum Syed Ali Hassan Gilani of the PPP.
The PML-N has fielded no candidate in the constituency.
Nawab Salahuddin and his late father Brig Muhammad Abbas Abbasi, a former Punjab governor, had been getting elected from the area in previous elections because of the respect commanded by the Abbasi family there.
The local population has been showing respect for the Abbasi family, not only voting for its members contesting the polls but also the candidates backed by them, the local observers say.
Interestingly, the both rivals (Gilani brothers) of Prince Bahawal have won elections several times with the support of Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi in the past.
The contesting of coming election by Prince Bahawal as an independent candidate came as a surprise for the locals who were expecting PTI ticket for him following the announcement of the merger of Nawab’s Bahawalpur National Awami Party (BNAP) with Imran Khan’s party.
But, after the PTI nominated Sami Gilani as its candidate for NA-174, Nawab Abbasi claimed that he had not merged his party with the PTI for the sake of its ticket for his son. He added that he had taken the decision of merger on the desire of his son Prince Bahawal Abbasi.
Now Nawab Salahudding and his son are contacting different influential groups in the constituency, seeking their support.
The Nawab has been assured of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) support for his son in the constituency by its local leadership in return for a commitment to back the MMA candidate for NA-170 (Bahawalpur) Dr Syed Waseam Akhtar.
However, the observers say that it won’t make a big difference for Prince Bahawal as the MMA’s appeal is limited to the religious circles only.
The campaign of PPP candidate Makhdum Syed Ali Hassan Gilani, who had defected to the PPP from the PML-N, has got a boost with the party’s well-attended public meeting at Uch Sharif that was addressed by chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s during the first week of July.
Meanwhile, Ahle-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) leader Rao Javed Iqbal at a joint press conference with Ali Gilani on Wednesday also announced support for the latter, while his step brother Sami Gilani was depending on the ‘popularity’ of the PTI and was vigorously running his campaign.
There are other candidates in NA-174 -- Raheem Bux, Ms Shirin Arshad, Arif Aziz Sheikh, Muhammad Saleem Moghul and Malik Khalid Mehmood Babar -- all independents, while another Sajid Hussain was contesting on the Pakistan Qaumi Yakjehti Council. In the two provincial assembly seats attached to the constituency -- PP-253 (Bahawalpur-9) and PP-254 (Bahawalpur-10) -- there are 19 contestants.
Those contesting for PP-253 include former MPA Qazi Adnan Farid (PML-N), Sahibzada Muhammad Gazain Abbasi (PTI), Hussain Ali Durrani (Grand Democratic Alliance -GDA) and Syed Muhammad Raza Diwan (PPP). Ali Durrani is son of former federal minister and Senator, Muhammad Ali Durrani, who backs the demand for provincial status for Bahawalpur. Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has fielded Muhammad Mohsan Yaseani, while six candidates are contesting as independents.
For PP-254, the actual contest is among ex-MPA Makhdum Syed Iftikhar Gilani (PTI), Zahid Mehmood (PML-N) and Syed Aamir Ali Shah (PPP). Others include Syed Ishrat Jahania (TLP) and four independents -- Ms Parveen Ata, Syed Ghulam Irtaza Shah Jamali, former MNA Arif Aziz Sheikh and Makhdumzada Syed Umar Raza Gilani.
Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2018