The people of Lahore and Okara have given a message on behalf of the rest of Punjab that the choice of candidate, his credibility and track record matters as much as party ticket. Electables matter only when their record is not tarnished. Punjab and rest of Pakistan through this by-election have given a message that money and power alone cannot buy votes and they have expressed their abhorrence for land mafia and massive corruption which has made an adverse impact on life of ordinary citizens. In what should have been a walk over for PML-N in Punjab became a struggle even to retain their seats in by-election which means that all is not well with their governance and performance. Mere building of roads and bridges in Lahore, or Metro, otherwise a good project, alone cannot buy hearts and minds of people. As for Ayaz Sadiq’s marginal victory, it is reflection of anger by people of Lahore against those MNAs and MPAs who abandon their constituents after election.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has won with a margin of just around 4,000 votes from NA-144, defeating his opponent, a controversial property tycoon, while in same constituency from Lahore PP-147 PTI’s Shoaib Siddiqi defeated PML-N’s Mohsin Latif, nephew of Kulsoom Nawaz by 2,456 votes. In Okara an Independent Riaz-ul-Haq inflicted a crushing defeat on PML-N’s Chaudhry Arif, son of MNA disqualified for fake degree, with a comfortable margin of 39,190 votes, while PTI’s choice of Ashraf Sohna, a defector from PPP, had his security confiscated, coming fourth. People of Okara have endorsed disqualification on grounds of fake degree by rejecting the son of a disqualified MNA.
The message is that all is not well for PML-N in Central Punjab and they should look beyond Kashmiri clan and give preference to merit, competence and credibility if they aspire for victory in 2018. Imran Khan has a following in Punjab but he cannot take them for granted. He must now walk his talk which must be reflected in his choice of candidates and his role as opposition focused on real issues of masses.
MALIK TARIQ
Lahore
