Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Ali Ahmed Kurd and Hafiz Hamdullah had contested elections in NA-259 Quetta city in the past but this time the support of those coming from outside the province would play a decisive role in success of any candidate.
Political sources said on Monday that voters who speak languages including Punjabi, Hindko, Kashmiri, Urdu and Seraiki whose number between 400,000 to 500,000 and live in main city areas would play a decisive role in winning of any candidate from NA-259 and some provincial assembly seats of Quetta.
Those who are contesting from this constituency include: Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl candidate Hafiz Hamdullah, lawyer Ali Ahmed Kurd, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Mir Maqbool Lehri, JUI-N candidate Mehmoodul Hassan Qasmi, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid candidate Dr Ruqayya Saeed Hashmi, Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) leader Abdul Khaliq Hazara, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Muhammad Qasim Khan Suri, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) candidate Abdul Kabir Shaker, Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP-A) candidate Abdul Qayyum Baloch, BNP-M candidate Akhtar Muhammad Langov and Jamhoori Watan Party-Talal (JWP-T) chief Nawabzada Talal Bugti.
Several independent candidates, including Nawab Imran Khan Khilji, Muhammad Ayaz, Dr Attaur Rehman, Malik Janat Gul Kakar and Ghulam Hussain are also participating in elections 2013 from this National Assembly constituency.
Former interior minister Rehman Malik had recorded his statement that over 100,000 voters of those coming from outside the province had fled Balochistan after they were targeted by armed groups. However, a remarkable number of those coming from outside the province still has been residing in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan particularly Pashtun belt. These voters who left Quetta and started their business in Lahore, Rawalpindi and other cities of Punjab could not adjust there and now they have also been returning back to Quetta.
Total registered voters of Quetta constituency are 559,939 in number including 329,502 men and 230,437 women.
In polls 2008, PPP candidate Syed Nasir Ali Shah clinched first position by getting 24,936 votes and PML-Q candidate Anwarul Haq 11387 while Pashtun and Baloch nationalist and some mainstream political parties had boycotted the elections.
Political observers have said the main contest would be between Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Hafiz Hamdullah. The JUI-F candidate Hafiz Hamdullah had moved the superior court after he was stopped by the elections tribunal from contesting elections.
“If the superior court allows Hamdullah to contest elections from NA-259 Quetta City, then Mehmood Khan Achakzai will have to face a strong candidate as JUI-F has also been enjoying support of religious vote bank in this national assembly seat,” political sources said.
Kurd who is contesting elections from this constituency as independent candidate too as pockets of support and he may get adequate number of votes.
Hazara community that is living in Marriabad, Ali Town and Hazara Town areas of the city may cast their vote in favour of HDP chief Abdul Khaliq Hazara.
However, as per past routine, thousands of Hazara voters may vote for the PPP candidate as the party has its roots in this community.
The PML-N is not contesting elections from this constituency after announcing its unconditional support to Achakzai. It is interesting to note that PkMAP has felt the importance of those coming from outside the province vote bank and resultantly, it awarded ticket in PB-1 Quetta-1 to a settler Haji Zaheeruddin Rajput.
The political parties are not arranging large public gatherings and candidates are usually addressing corner meetings.
