Pakistan Muslim League-N candidate Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary is leading the election race for NA-49 from Federal Capital as the Jiyalas do not appear to have accepted Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar in the PPP. Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar who contested 2008 elections on Pakistan Muslim League-Q ticket from the same constituency against Tariq Fazal Chaudhary has now been awarded PPP ticket.
In the past Chairman Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari had contested elections on a PPP ticket from NA-49 and he regards Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar's joining the PPP as a potential threat to his own future political career. Khokhar and Bokhari have been political rivals and contested elections in the past against each other. Mustafa Nawaz's supporters are suspicious of Bokhari's support for him in the elections and many maintain that a considerable chunk of the PPP vote may not be cast in favour of Khokhar.
Tariq Fazal Chaudhary has consolidated personal and party votes in recent weeks and is considered to have emerged as a strong candidate in the constituency. The party's vote was further consolidated by the recent visit of Pakistan Muslim League-N Chief to the federal capital on Sunday and on Tuesday in Rawalpindi. Tariq Fazal Chaudary is confident to win NA-49 seat for PML-N.
Zubair Farooq Khan of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Chaudhary Ilyas Meharban of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) are the new faces in the constituency and are relaying on party vote bank. Majority of the voters in NA-49 consist of rural areas wherein civic amenities including healthcare, sewage, gas supply and water supply are major issues. Candidates of all the major political parties, PML-N, PTI, PPP and JI are holding corner meetings, and engaged in door to door canvassing targeting the female and young voters particularly.
In 2008 elections, PML-N candidate Tariq Fazal Chaudhry won the seat after a very tough contest with PPP candidate Syed Nayyar Hussain Shah Bukhari and PML-Q's Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar. Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has never won from this constituency.
PML-N candidate enjoys good public repute in the area and is easily accessible to his voters and enjoys considerable "Baradari" vote in the constituency. An activist of PTI said their candidate who is not well recognised in the constituency had been relying on party Chairman's scheduled Jalsa in the constituency on May 9. He said that due to the tragic incident in Lahore, Imran Khan would be unable to reach Islamabad but there were possibilities that he might address the party workers at D Chowk by telephone. JI has given its party ticket of NA-49 to Zubair Farooq for 2013 elections.
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