NA-19 Haripur by-election: PML-N, PTI candidates likely to finish contest neck and neck

NA-19 (Haripur), once considered the bastion of electables, is bracing for a possible change with a neck-to-neck contest between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the upcoming by-elections. The constituency was considered a stronghold of Ayub Khan's family with Gohar Ayub Khan winning elections from the constituency till 1997.
After Musharraf made graduation compulsory for contesting elections Gohar Ayub Khan faced disqualification but the family retained the seat as his son Omar Ayub Khan got elected twice from NA-19 (Haripur). However, according to some locals, the political chessboard of the area appears to have visibly changed due to poor performance coupled with incumbency factor as PTI is the ruling party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The wife of PTI chairman Reham Khan, from Hazara herself, addressed a mammoth rally there recently. A PTI spokesman confirmed that she went there on the special request of the candidate. "Yes, why not, if my presence can make a difference, I would love to be there," the spokesman said while quoting Reham in response to Dr Raja Aamir Zaman's request. The PML-N has given Asif Kirmani, the political advisor to prime minister, the special task to visit Tarbela Ghazi to muster support for the party candidate in NA-19 Haripur by-election and to participate in their election campaign.
As the date for by-election in NA-19 (Haripur) is drawing close, activists of both PTI and PML-N have geared up for the election campaign in support of the candidates nominated by the two political parties. The central leadership, especially Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan are also expected to visit the constituency. Talking to Business Recorder, Khan Nawaz Khan, PML-N tehsil president, said that they are making arrangements for holding a grand political show at village Kotehra-Ghazi on August 10 at 2pm.
He showed optimism that the party will emerge victorious as the prime minister had always helped the people of Hazara, no matter whether he was in power or not. "It's only Nawaz Sharif who can steer the country out of the prevailing crisis," he added. The sources also said that in a meeting held on August 5 with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the chair, he has given special directives to accelerate the election campaign for PML-N candidate Babar Nawaz Khan in NA-19 Haripur to ensure his victory.
He issued special orders to Asif Kirmani, PML-N provincial president Pir Sabir Shah, and other senior PML-N leaders to make all-out efforts. The PTI leadership is equally active. They claimed that their candidates would emerge victorious, as in the last elections, PTI candidate who is also a former MNA Dr Raja Aamir Zaman had lost with a slight margin to his rival Omar Ayub Khan of PML-N.
PTI chairman Imran Khan will address a mammoth rally on Sunday (today) and his wife Reham Khan is already there. A spokesman for PTI said that arrangements have been finalized for the address of party chairman Imran Khan, and a large number of people are expected to attend the public meeting.
The NA-19, which fell vacant after PML-N MNA Omer Ayub Khan was unseated by the Supreme Court against a petition filed by PTI candidate Dr Raja Aamir Zaman, has become a matter of do or die for the two parties. In 2013 general elections, PTI candidate Dr Raja Aamir Zaman was declared returned candidate with a lead of some 2,200 votes who had bagged 1,16,000 votes whereas his rival Omer Ayub Khan secured 1,14,000. Omer Ayub did not accept the defeat and filed a petition in the election tribunal rejecting the result. His petition was accepted and in the recounting his rival Dr Raja Aamir Zaman was again declared winner.
Recounting of the votes also could not satisfy Omer Ayub Khan and he again went to election tribunal with the allegation of rigging by his rival in 78 polling stations of the constituency. After a legal battle of few months, election tribunal admitted the plea of Omer Ayub Khan but termed rigging only in seven polling stations instead of 78 including Bagra, Ghazi Hamlat, Khanpur Mamria, Aloli, Kalanjar, and two polling stations of Khalabat and ordered re election in these seven poling stations.
The Election Commission of Pakistan announced re-election in those seven polling stations on January 29, 2014. Dr Raja Aamir Zaman filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the decision of election tribunal and also prayed that if re-election was necessary then election may be conducted in the whole constituency instead of seven polling stations.