Why the NA-4 by-poll matters

By
Shakeel Farman Ali
|
Presiding and security officers carry election material under supervision of security forces for NA-4 by-election in Peshawar on Wednesday, October 25, 2017.—PPI photo

Now more than ever, all eyes are on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's NA-4 constituency, where a by-election is scheduled tomorrow to fill a seat vacated after the demise of Gulzar Khan, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf parliamentarian.

The constituency is crucial, for all contenders. For Imran Khan's PTI, a win here will have strong implications for its future in the province. A defeat could dent its credentials as it heads towards the national elections next year.

Then there is the Awami National Party, which, although routed from the province in 2013, has won NA-4 thrice in the past. A victory tomorrow could revivify its slogan that Peshawar has remained its stronghold. The ANP chief, Asfandyar Wali Khan, has already held two rallies in the area to bolster his party candidate's standing.

The other serious contender is the Pakistan People’s Party. Had it not been for Gulzar Khan’s son, who opted to contest from the PPP platform over PTI, the political party would have been overlooked completely in this poll. Asad Gulzar is expected to put up a strong fight and bag a few sympathy votes.

Candidates aside, the PTI and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have also been quietly pushing through development projects to swing votes in their favor.

Presiding and security officials carry electoral material under the supervision of security forces for NA-4 by-elections at Election Commission Office, Kohat Road, Peshawar on Wednesday, October 25, 2017.—PPI photo

As per the Election Commission rules no development work can be initiated in an area where an election schedule has been announced. Yet, the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has installed solar-powered panels at mosques, tube wells near agricultural lands and carpeted several roads in the area. When accused of violating ECP rules, PTI leaders argue that the work was already ongoing under the annual development projects and was not fast-tracked due to the polls.

Simultaneously, the federal government, ruled by the PML-N, has also installed new transformers and gas pipelines in the NA-4 constituency, which they insist were approved during the late Gulzar Khan's tenure by the then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Of the 15 candidates contesting, eight are independent.

"One of them, Liaqat Ali, has the support of the Milli Muslim League," explains journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai.

"But the real contest is between PTI's Arbab Amir Ayub, ANP's Khushdil Khan and PML-N's Nasir Musa Zai." Although, the PTI and PMLN are the two strongest parties, he adds.

But one must also not discount the Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan, which has fielded a candidate for the first time in this constituency. It might not win. But in a recent by-election in Lahore it did manage to dent the ruling party’s vote bank with its controversial slogans. That could happen again.