News Analysis |
With the growing commotion among the members of PML-N, PTI’s candidate Asad Umar is showing signs of a strong chance to win NA-54.
NA-54, a seat of Federal Capital has many candidates thriving to win isna constituency which consists of areas of Federal Capital. Prior to 2002, this constituency was known as NA-35 which changed to NA-48, Islamabad-1, ultimately ending up being named as NA-54, Islamabad-3.
According to various sources, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI)’s candidate Asad Umar has taken an advantage of the ongoing unrest among Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N)’s members. Suffering from this turbulence is Anjum Akeel Khan and Ch. Ashraf Gujjar, members of PML-N, potential candidates for NA-54.
This time Asad Umar had been awarded with a PTI ticket for this constituency. The majority of the people in the constituency belong to the educated class and that was one of the reasons why PTI won this seat.
It was stated that these candidates were facing certain difficulties in drawing attention of the voters towards them, highlighting the ongoing disputes within the party as the main reason. On the other hand, Asad Umar, a qualified candidate was busy holding corner meetings and door to door contact campaigns in order to shift support towards his party, PTI.
Having already been voted in once and looking at the current scenario, Asad Umar’s feelings of confidence seems to be logical. The tenacious candidate believes that he will be able to secure another parliamentary term while his other fellow candidates from his party will be routing for him, on 25th July, 2018.
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Taking history into account, during the elections of 1990, then Jamaat-e-Islami (IJI) candidate, Nawaz Khokar won the seat as he bagged 76795 votes. Another candidate of the same party, Mian Muhammad Aslam won from the NA-48 constituency during 2002 elections. This was so, due to the party’s boycott, however he had contested the general elections of 2013.
During elections of 2008, Anjum Aqeel won the seat on the ticket of PML-N by securing 61,480 votes. In 2011, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), nominated him as the main accused in a fraud case involving Rs.6 billion, i.e. still a pending verdict in the Special Court of Islamabad.
With the growing commotion among the members of PML-N, PTI’s candidate Asad Umar is showing signs of a strong chance to win NA-54. NA-54, a seat of Federal Capital has many candidates thriving to win isna constituency which consists of areas of Federal Capital. Prior
Taking a suo motu notice of this case in 2011, The Supreme Court remanded the matter to the FIA Special Court. While in 2008, candidate of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Israr Shah secured 2nd place as he received 24418 votes. In 2013, then central president, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi won the National Assembly seat NA-48 in Federal Capital, however he later abdicated.
A maximum of 22 candidates participated in the 2013 elections, where Asad Umar won the elections by receiving 48073 votes by defeating Chaudhary Muhammad Ashraf Gujjar, PML-N who received 41186 votes and other candidates of NA-48.
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History helps us to understand how unpredictable this constituency is. This constituency has never been a stronghold of any political party. It has been witnessed how PML-N, PPP and IJI candidates had all won this seat in the past. Yet on 11th May, during parliamentary elections PTI candidate won the seat against Anjum Aqeel Khan with 73,878 versus 52,205 votes. Hashmi later stood down from this seat, retaining his native seat of Multan.
This time Asad Umar had been awarded with a PTI ticket for this constituency. The majority of the people in the constituency belong to the educated class and that was one of the reasons why PTI won this seat. However, interestingly, the party also received a sizeable number of votes from the rural areas of the constituency as in the past he won what were mostly urban areas of the capital, in the last general elections, 2013. Indeed, the supporters awaiting eyes are eager to see the future results.