LAHORE - A compelling electoral showdown is on the horizon in NA-122 Lahore, featuring heavyweight candidates Khawaja Saad Rafique of the PML-N and Sardar Latif Khosa of the PTI.
Rafique, backed by the PML-N, holds a significant advantage over Khosa in various aspects.
Sardar Latif Khosa, a former Punjab Governor, recently made the switch to PTI from PPP and is making his electoral debut against a seasoned politician Rafique. Despite hailing from DG Khan, Khosa has resided in DHA Lahore for many years. His reliance on PTI’s perceived popularity, especially amid the incarceration of its founding chairman, marks his strategy. However, Khosa’s campaign lacks vigor, and he recently raised concerns about voter allocations in DHA, prompting a complaint to the Election Commission. Despite initially filing nomination papers for NA-127, where Bilawal Bhutto is contesting, Khosa shifted focus to NA-122.As Khosa is not legally eligible to contest under PTI’s “Bat” symbol, it may further diminish his chances of success.
In contrast, Khawaja Saad Rafique boasts extensive electoral experience, notably winning the NA-122 seat in a closely contested 2018 by-election against Imran Khan.
Rafique’s mastery lies in polling day management, consistently mobilizing a substantial voter base. His adept team ensures efficient polling station operations, a strategy that has historically yielded favorable results.
The contest in NA-122 is primarily a two-way battle, with PPP and IPP abstaining from fielding candidates. Zubair Basharat of JI and Mohammad Imtiaz of TLP are in the race but are not significant contenders. The constituency encompasses cantonment areas like Walton, Cavalry Ground, R.A Bazar, and DHA.
The electoral history of NA-122, formerly NA-131, is notably intriguing, particularly since the 2018 general elections. This constituency, predominantly comprising Lahore’s cantonment areas, witnessed intense political battles involving prominent figures such as former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Khawaja Saad Rafique of the PML-N, and Humayun Akhtar of the PTI.
In the 2018 elections, Imran Khan clinched victory in NA-122 by a narrow margin of 680 votes after a controversial recount, defeating Khawaja Saad Rafique. Imran Ahmad Niazi secured 84,313 votes, while Khawaja Saad Rafique garnered 83,633 votes. Despite losing at the national level, Khawaja Saad secured a provincial seat, PP-168, Lahore, triumphing over Faiz Bhatti of the PTI by a significant margin of 19,169 votes. Subsequently, Saad vacated his provincial seat to contest and win a bye-election in NA-131 after Imran Khan relinquished the seat to retain the one he won from Mianwali, his hometown.
The bye-election in NA-131 occurred on October 14, 2018, where Saad defeated Humayun Akhtar of the PTI, securing 60,747 votes against Humayun’s 50,445 votes. Another bye-election was conducted in PP-168, Lahore, resulting in the PML-N’s loss to Malik Asad Khokhar of the PTI. Asad triumphed over Rana Khalid of the PML-N by a slim margin of 687 votes. Interestingly, Asad Khokhar had previously faced defeat in the 2018 general elections for a national seat from Lahore, while Malik Afzal Khokhar of the PML-N emerged victorious from NA-136.
PP-155
PP-155 stands as an allied provincial constituency to NA-122. The electoral outcomes within this constituency remain highly uncertain, given that all candidates from mainstream parties are contesting for the first time. Naeem Shehzad represents PML-N, while PTI has nominated its Lahore President, Sheikh Imtiaz. Muneeba Anis from PPP, Iftikhar Ahmad from JI, and Mohammad Umar from TLP are also competing, albeit with minimal prospects of winning. IPP has refrained from nominating any candidate in this constituency.
PP-156
Mohammad Yasin Amir of the PML-N holds a distinct advantage over other contenders in the upcoming election, having secured victory from this constituency in the 2018 elections. His victory then was over Aleem Khan of the PTI by a slim margin of 725 votes. However, Aleem Khan went on to win a Punjab Assembly seat in another provincial constituency, PP-158, where he defeated Rana Ahsan of the PML-N.
Imtiaz Warriach, a newcomer to politics, is contesting on the PTI ticket, albeit without the party’s election symbol. Zainab Rizwan from PPP is also a first-time candidate and relatively unknown in this constituency. Mohammad Khobabib Nazeer from JI and Dilshad Ahmad Zahid from TLP are also participating in the race. IPP has not nominated a candidate for this contest.
PP-157
Naseer Ahmad Bhutta of the PML-N, who emerged victorious in the 2018 elections, holds a promising prospect of securing victory once again from this constituency. In the previous election, he defeated Bilal Aslam of the PTI by a narrow margin of 2,028 votes. Challenging Bhutta is Hafiz Farhat Abbas, a newcomer representing the PTI. Additionally, Ch Adnan Sarwar from PPP is also a first-time contender in this electoral arena. IPP has opted not to field a candidate, leaving the seat vacant for other parties. Mohammad Irfan from JI and Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmad from TLP are also among the contestants vying for victory in this constituency.