LAHORE, Oct 4: As the general election draws closer, the main election office of PML-QA president Mian Azhar’s brother and his party’s candidate for NA-120 (Lahore-III), Mian Ashraf, at their ancestral Haveli in Santnagar gives a rather deserted look. The number of people visiting the place has thinned out since the good old days when Mian Azhar stood up against his political mentor, Mian Nawaz Sharif, while the latter was still in power.
This speaks volumes for the difficulties being faced by Mian Ashraf in contesting the election from a constituency that chose Mian Nawaz as its favourite in all the elections since 1985. As the PML-N remains popular amongst the local populace, Mian Ashraf stands to share the League’s vote with his PML-N rival Pervez Malik. This would help the PPP aspirant for the seat, Altaf Qureishi.
The constituency comprises areas that formed NA-95 and NA-96 — strongholds of Mian Nawaz and his brother Mian Shahbaz — before re-demarcation of the city to accommodate the increased number of voters, which resulted in 13 constituencies instead of nine. These are the voters with whom the Sharif brothers have developed a strong association over the years by showering upon them jobs, plots, and other favours.
Strangely enough, Mian Azhar and his politically novice brother consider NA-120 as their “home constituency” (perhaps because their ancestral home is situated here), ignoring the fact that the Sharif brothers or their nominees have never lost any election or by-election here.
Many residents of the area claim that Mian Azhar seems to have “failed to assess the mood of this constituency”. “Although the PML-QA has been backed by the government since its creation, people of the area rejected Azhar’s brother-in-law, Nasir Jabran, in the last year’s local government elections to elect PML-N’s Khwaja Ahmad Hasaan as Ravi Town Nazim. They also elected PML-N’s Malik Shaukat and Jamaat-i-Islami’s Nasim Ahmad Chishti as Nazimeen of two main union councils of the area, said a political observer.
Mian Azhar’s supporters vehemently contest this claim. “The PML-N did have a strong following in the area, but a lot has changed since the local elections. The PML-QA has managed to make inroads in the area. We have successfully managed to become popular in the area,” said a local party leader.
Mian Ashraf’s supporters admit that Mian Ashraf was lesser known locally than the other two main candidates — Mr Altaf and Mr Pervez, but say his being a brother of Mian Azhar and a candidate of the PML-QA would help him succeed.
Moreover, it is alleged, Mr Ashraf is banking on the official support. Pro-government councillors in the area are backing him. Besides, he is also hoping to get the votes of the strong Arain and Quraish Biradaris of area. Covert but strong support of Lahore Nazim Mian Amer is also said to be a factor going in favour of the PML-QA man.
On the other hand, Pervez Malik, brother of former Lahore High Court judge Qayyum Malik, is seeking votes on the slogan of being a loyal comrade of Mian Nawaz. Mr Pervez, who returned to the assembly in 1997, is also said to have pinned hopes on the PML-N’s candidate for PP-140, Ajasim, who is the son of former MPA Haji Sharif. Mr Ajasim is being considered a hot favourite for the Punjab Assembly seat.
Altaf Qureshi, an old political worker, is trying to bring out the PPP sympathisers and voters who are said to have stayed home in 1997. Moreover, he is probably the only candidate in the city talking on issues that concern the masses, like compulsory and free education. People are certain that he will give a tough time to other candidates even if he fails to win. “A split in the League’s vote-bank will prove to be an additional advantage for him,” the residents say.
However, the main task for Mr Altaf is to woo back the party activists, workers and voters who are either sitting home or have switched sides to the PML-N in the last three general elections.
NA-120 covers Bund Road, Bilal Ganj, Karim Park, Chaudhry Park, Malipura, Sanda, Rewaz Garden, Mozang, Lytton Road, Beadon Road, New and Old Anarklai, Royal Park and a part of Egerton Road. Some 232,800 registered voters here include 106,923 women. Major biradaris include Gujars, Kakezai Maliks, Kashmiris, Pathans, Quraishs and Arians. Mujawars of Data Sahib also enjoy a good deal of influence in their area. The Pathans of Bilal Ganj, living in extremely shabby conditions, are calling for uplift of their localities. It is stated that they will be supporting the PML-QA, because Mian Amer has “promised to carry out development works in their area”.
Visits to parts of NA-120 including Krishan Nagar and Santnagar showed that most voters were rather “indifferent” to the electioneering going on around them. This situation, should it prevail on the polling day, will not be in the interest of the opponents of Mian Ashraf, especially Altaf Qureshi who neither has adequate resources nor the party support to match his PML-QA rival or transport voters to polling booths — a factor that may have a deep impact on the outcome of elections in this constituency as well as in the rest of the country.