While by-elections on 20 crucial Punjab assembly seats are due on July 17, the election campaign has already started. The PML-N and PTI are the main contenders in the race for control over the country’s largest province. On Sunday Imran Khan toured four constituencies in Lahore to support PTI candidates against the party’s renegades who had joined hands with the PML-N to get Hamza Sharif elected new CM. The PTI’s victory in PK-7 (Swat) where it defeated a joint PDM candidate on Sunday had buoyed up its morale. The party now hopes it can claw back to power in Punjab.
As usual Imran Khan gave a religious touch to a purely mundane election campaign, calling it a jihad to win real independence for Pakistan. He vowed that he would bring back Rs1,100 billion allegedly laundered abroad by the Sharifs who were “forgiven under the NRO-2 through the NAB amendment” The PTI chairman also strongly criticized the Election Commission of Pakistan for its avowed `leanings’ towards the PML-N and asked his workers to stay vigilant at polling stations on July 17.
At an election related meeting in PP-7 (Rawalpindi), where Lt Col (rtd) Shabbir Awan is contesting as PTI’s candidate, former ISI chief retired Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam, took to the rostrum in support of Awan, indicating that a desperate PTI was using all its assets to win the battle for Punjab.
The PTI’s strong points are its charged up voters who are angry over the removal of Imran Khan’s government.
The PML-N too has its strong points. Of all the by-elections held in Punjab from 2018 to 2021, the PML-N won a majority while still being in opposition. Now it is not only in power but also enjoys the support of PPP as well as religio-political parties which are part of the PDM.
Among the disadvantages faced by PML-N is the presence of TLP in several constituencies where it has always vociferously attacked PML-N, thus depriving it of a particular variety of religious votes. Similarly three of the four candidates the PML-N is supporting in Lahore are PTI renegades who have been issued tickets at the cost of PML-N aspirants which is resented by many party loyalists. The elections will test the mettle of Hamza Sharif who is supposed to resolve the problems and lead the party to success.
