Aleem Khan gets choice ticket after two years

ISLAMABAD: All is set for a political duel in NA-122 today where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate’s long awaited wish to contest polls from this constituency is being fulfilled while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s candidate, so far, has a record of straight victories from this constituency since 2002. Though it is a by-election but both the parties have campaigned like a general election for their respective candidates and have made their stakes high.
Abdul Aleem Khan of PTI’s desire to contest election from NA-122 is coming true as despite among the main leadership of PTI in General Election 2013, Aleem was denied the party ticket by PTI chief Imran Khan as the entire party hierarchy had united against him in 2013. However, Aleem remained loyal to the PTI and has been rewarded for that by launching him against Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, who so far has a record of straight wins since 2002 of which he has defeated Imran Khan twice.
Details reveal that at the time of 2013 general elections PTI’s top leadership included its chief Imran Khan, two mainstream politicians Javed Hashmi and Shah Mehmood Qureshi and two investors Aleem Khan and Jahangir Khan Tareen. All these five individuals were decision makers and all-powerful regarding party affairs and played key role in awarding the party tickets. These were commonly known facts and PTI sources confirm even now that many party tickets in different National Assembly and Provincial Assembly constituencies of Lahore were awarded on recommendation of Aleem Khan despite severe opposition from old party stalwarts. Especially award of PTI ticket to one Mansha Sindhu from NA-129 Lahore was purely on strong recommendation of Aleem Khan though whole party hierarchy of PTI in Lahore opposed this award.
Aleem Khan who himself was a strong candidate for National Assembly was not awarded ticket by party board on recommendation of PTI chief as at that time Imran Khan was of the view that Aleem Khan does not enjoy good reputation among the PTI hierarchy and face allegations of land grabbing.
According to party sources, Imran Khan didn’t want to annoy Aleem Khan so smartly placed his cousin Hamid Khan in NA-125, a constituency PTI considered its stronghold, and himself decided to contest from NA-122 instead of awarding ticket to property tycoon Aleem Khan. Interestingly, NA-125 was the constituency from where every PTI leader wanted to contest polls as they considered this constituency PTI’s stronghold. To keep Aleem Khan and others away from this constituency, first Imran Khan announced to contest election from NA-125 himself while Aleem was aiming to win party ticket from NA-122 but later, Imran Khan awarded ticket of NA-125 to PTI stalwart Hamid Khan and put himself as candidate from NA-122 thus successfully keeping Aleem Khan out of the election process.
It is strange that when PTI was fighting in most important general election with the claim to make government in the center its chief avoided awarding ticket to Aleem Khan but now when party is fighting war of its survival, ticket has been awarded to same Aleem Khan.
While on the other hand, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of PML-N has beaten Imran Khan twice from the same constituency i.e. in 2002 when he beat PTI chief comprehensively and in 2013 general election when he succeeded in defeating Khan by nine thousand votes. However, the election tribunal declared the election void upon allegations of Imran Khan of rigging. Both the parties have done extensive campaigning for the by-election making their stakes high. No party could afford to lose this election as for PTI it is war of its survival while for PML-N, it was its own choice to go into election instead of challenging the decision of the tribunal in the Supreme Court from where they could easily have obtained a relief.