NA-4 bye-polls: the picture of forthcoming general elections

The bye-election for NA-4 in Peshawar was being dubbed a litmus test for the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). 

The party, however, rose to the occasion, defeating campaigns on social media and by some TV talk show hosts that the ruling party had lost its popularity in the province. Had it lost the election, its impact would have felt across the country. It seems party chief Imran Khan’s ceaseless campaign against corruption is still attracting the masses.

The seat fell vacant after the death of PTI dissent MNA Gulzar Khan. The PTI fielded Arbab Amir Ayub to face Pakistan Muslim League-N’s (PML-N’s) Nasir Khan Musazai, Awami National Party’s (ANP’s) Khushdil Khan and Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Asad Gulzar.

Bye-elections are mostly manipulated by incumbent provincial government. 

PTI’s stepped-up efforts to challenge the PML-N in its stronghold Lahore bye-elections (NA-122 and NA-120) gave a chance to the PML-N to give the PTI sleepless nights in its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa constituency (NA-4). Amid the reports of huge funds doled out by both the federal government and the provincial government, the media built a momentum for the Election Day. Ahead of the polling day, the PML-N and the PTI gathered bad press for their leaders’ cases. Even when the polling was in process, PTI chief Imran Khan hit the headlines for tendering an apology to the chief election commissioner. Side by side, the PML-N leader, disgracefully ousted Nawaz Sharif, was being declared an absconder and arrest warrant issued. These breaking news stories, however, deterred both parties’ supporters least from going ahead with their plans to poll votes for their candidates.      

Other than the win of the PTI candidate, the result sheet offers the picture of the emerging electoral scene.

The ANP is striking back slowly, steadily, and with a little more effort, it can regain its lost grounds. In the face of two governments candidates, its candidate stood second with a convincing 24,000 plus votes; that is quite an achievement. PML-N’s Musazai added a few thousand votes to its earlier 2013 poll record. That would not have happened, had its party not armed him with development funds. He had the consistent backing of energetic Amir Muqam and other leaders in Islamabad.

The PPP had a face-saving day with 13,000 plus votes. After its worst drubbing in NA-120 bye-elections, the party was looking to the result card with a hushed, fearful silence. The party had also secured 12,000 votes in the 2013 elections. A well-attended party rally, addressed by fearless Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, convinced the vote bank to give the party another chance.

The Labaik Party is gaining strong footing in electoral activities. First, it made inroads to elections in NA-120 bye-election, where it beat Milli Muslim League and the PPP to grab the third place. This time, its little-known candidate defeated the Jamaat-i-Islami candidate to reach the fifth place. The chorus of extremism, and religious discourse, by the PML-N, JI, PTI and other right-wing parties, is going to eat up their own vote. Let them face the reality.

The general elections are only a few months away. Political parties have not much time at disposal to make big changes to their vote tally. The cases of the Sharif family, Imran Khan and Jehangir Tareen and some PPP leaders will impact the parties’ seats.

And we are proud to see these historical moments.