As April 15 marks the last day for campaigning for the by-elections in NA-33 Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, members of the relevant political parties can be seen rallying for support in the last stand before polling takes place. A tough contest is expected between the candidates of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl for the National Assembly seat from the constituency.
The seat has been vacant ever since PTI MNA Khayal Zaman’s death. Zaman won the seat in 2018 by securing 28,819 votes. The runner-up, however, was not so far behind who secured 27,968 votes in the 2018 general elections. The three leading contenders vying for the National Assembly seat from the constituency are Akhunzada Mufti Obaidullah from JUI-F, son of the deceased MNA Khayal Zaman – Dr Nadeem Khayal from PTI, and Syed Umar from Awami National Party.
Last day of campaign for NA33 Hangu bypoll today with polling on Sunday 17th April 2022. PTI's Dr Nadeem Khayal faces JUIF Mufti Obaidullah and ANP's Saeed Omar Orakzai. No major leader from PTI campaigned in this constituency. We will post our detailed analysis tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/oOI2B3fO1p
— PTI Politics. (@PTIPoliticsss) April 15, 2022
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It is pertinent to mention that no major leader from the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf rallied for support ahead of the elections in the constituency. The constituency has a total of 210 polling stations, of which 64 are exclusively for men, 55 exclusively for women, and 91 are combined. Out of the total 210 polling stations, around 110 have been declared sensitive, and hence security arrangements in the respective pollings stations have been ramped up. The total number of voters in the constituency is around 314 thousand.
According to sources privy to the situation, the district administration has taken strict measures to ensure a smooth-running electoral process. Security forces have ensured that elaborate measures have been taken to ensure peaceful elections in the constituency. The polling will be held on Sunday, 17 April.
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Many have questioned the former ruling party’s decision to compete from the constituency after the en masse resignations from the National Assembly. To clarify, on 11 April, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leadership decided to resign from the National Assembly. The decision was taken during the PTI Parliamentary meeting ahead of the election for the new prime minister of Pakistan after the opposition successfully managed to oust Imran Khan from power with the no-confidence motion.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Election Commission of Pakistan issued the schedule for the initial phase of the local body elections in Punjab. According to the schedule, June 9 has been set as the polling day. In the first phase, local government elections will be held in DG Khan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Rajanpur, Mandi Bahauddin, Khushab, Jhelum, Vehari, Hafizabad, Bahawalpur, Toba Tek Singh, Chiniot, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Sialkot and Attock.