Baghi or Daghi? Hashmi’s day of reckoning!

Javed Hashmi, Amir Dogar and Dr Siddiqui brace the ring today for competition in NA-149 Multan by-polls as the actual fight will commence among PML-N, PPP and PTI who are supporting their respective candidates for the seat

Agile and charged voters of NA-149 Multan are set to vote in by-polls today (Thursday) which will decide the fate of veteran politician Makhdoom Javed Hashmi. In the meanwhile, analysts and politicians have claimed that the senior but controversial politician was inching closer to his rival and a local heavyweight, Malik Amir Dogar, thanks to efforts by Khwaja Saad Rafique, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif and three other close aides of Punjab chief minister who are allegedly working to secure win for Hashmi.

More than 341,527 voters will exercise their right to franchise in the constituency. The polling will start at 7am and would culminate by 6pm.

The real contest is among Javed Hashmi, Malik Amir Dogar and Dr Javed Siddiqui. Hashmi and Dogar have been able to muster support from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), respectively while Dr Siddiqui is contesting from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s platform.

The NA-149 seat was vacated after the resignation of former PTI president Hashmi following differences with PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

Around 286 polling stations with 774 polling booths have been set up with 144 of them reserved for men and 142 for women.

Rangers will be deployed at 107 Category A stations while 96 are in Category B and 83 in Category C. Moreover, as many as 3,500 police officials will perform duty at the stations.

AS CONTEST GETS TOUGHER:

Hashmi was lagging far behind Dogar only two days back due to internal bickering among local PML-N factions however the heavyweights of the ruling party have been able to get all local leaguers united by making promises for future accommodation, sources said.

On the other hand, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi has also been camping in Multan, working to remove differences between PTI’s aspirants for the by-poll. Currently, PTI’s local leadership is also backing Dogar, who was earlier being called a “stranger”.

Following Qureshi’s efforts, analysts believe that Dogar was looking strong, eyeing a comfortable win over his rivals.

In the meanwhile, Dr Siddiqui’s position has also improved after former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani launched a door-to-door campaign on orders of PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

“Zardari wants to set an example for other PPP aspirants who are aiming to join PTI. If Dogar is defeated, Zardari would send a message to all PPP leaders that if they leave PPP, they would have no political future like Dogar,” a source in the PPP said.

PUNJAB GOVT BACKING HASHMI:

Moreover, Pakistan Today has learnt that Hashmi has full backing of the Punjab government and the local administration has been accused for carrying out special development projects to woo the voters as the ruling PML-N has announced public support to the politician who rebelled last month against PTI chief.

A source in the Punjab government told Pakistan Today that three close aides of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif have been camping at Multan Circuit House for Hashmi. These included Political Assistant to Punjab CM Syed Tauseef Shah, former MNA from Bahawalpur Saud Majeed and Rana Mubashar, the spouse of MNA from NA-129 Shazia Mubashar.

Hashmi however would not be able to cast his vote today as his vote is registered in NA-148 Multan, his actual constituency.

Furthermore, Raza Hassan Gardezi, a civil society activist from Multan, said that certain federal and Punjab ministers were camping in the local Circuit House to build pressure on the DCO, CPO and EDOs to win votes for Hashmi.

“Politicians, contractors, litigants and other residents of NA-149 are being lured to vote for Hashmi by the local administration. Favours are being given while Zakat funds and development projects are being thrown to win votes for Hashmi. Moreover, the government employees are also being pressurised while contractors and litigants are being threatened to face dire consequences if they voted for Dogar,” he alleged.

Moreover, analysts believe Imran Khan’s power show in Multan has made a great impact on Thursday’s by-poll as around 200,000 followers of PTI had amassed the Qasim Bagh Stadium to greet their leader.

“I think that Dogar is better placed to win election as compared to Hashmi who has been hated by the citizens of Multan for his change of loyalties time and again,” said a senior journalist, Raziuddin Razi.