The federal capital's NA-53 constituency is braced for a tough competition between two heavyweights - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and former prime minister of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
According to the data of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), total population of this constituency is 670,683 and it is spread over rural and urban areas. The constituency has 312,143 registered voters and the ECP would establish 325 polling stations.
A total of around 34 candidates are contesting election from this constituency besides Khan and Abbasi. Other candidates include Pakistan People's Party's (PPP) Syed Sibtul Haider Bokhari, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Mian Mohammad Aslam, Ayesha Gulalai of PTI-G, Mohammad Amjad of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), Ammar Rasheed of Awami Workers Party (AWP).
NA-53 constituency mostly consists of posh urban areas of the federal capital - E-7, F-7, G-7, G-8, G-9, H-8, H-9, I-8, and I-9. However, some rural areas like Bhara Kahu, Banigala, Bari Imam, Mohra Nur, Phulgran, Suhan, Chattar, Shahzad Town and Lakhwal also fall in the constituency.
An anecdotal survey of the constituency reveals that its rural areas are dominated by Gujjar, Pashtun, Awan, Abbasi and Syed clans while the urban areas are more diverse in nature. Christian population in the area can also play a critical role in defeat or victory of any candidate as the religious minority has around 22,000 registered voters.
Locals told Business Recorder that Khaqan Abbasi was mainly banking on support of the voters from the Abbasi clan living in rural areas of the constituency like Bhara Kahu and Chattar areas. The huge Pashtun population in the rural areas indicated that they would vote for Imran Khan. The PTI attracts the more educated urban voters however Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was trying his best to woo local notables to get their vote.
Unlike Imran Khan, Abbasi has held several corner meetings in the constituency and was trying to maximize support while Imran Khan's campaign was being run by the party's ticket aspirant Ilyas Mehrban. PPP's Syed Sibtul Haider - brother of former Senate chairman Nayyar Hussain Bukhari - is likely to get a good number of votes as Nayyar Bokhari, as chairman of Senate, had initiated a number of development projects in the area.
Earlier this week, Imran Khan called on the custodian of Golra Sharif shrine, Pir Nizam Uddin Jami, and sought his support in the elections as Imam Bari's shrine also comes in the constituency. The locals said that Pir of Golra Sharif has a lot of spiritual following in the constituency who may be asked to vote for Imran Khan in the elections.
The locals said that MMA's candidate Mian Mohammad Aslam, who had initiated a number of development projects in the constituency during his tenure in office, is also active in the constituency but even though he won the constituency in 2002 elections from the platform of MMA he is unlikely to win the seat.