Election turn close friends ‘Muqam-Musazai’ into political rivals on NA-29-Peshawar

PESHAWAR, Jul 06 (APP):The 2018 general elections has turned two close friends of recent past, Engr Amir Muqam of PML(N) and Nasir Khan Musazai of PTI, into political opponents on NA-29 Peshawar-III where tough electoral battle is expected on July 25.
Musazai, who remained Provincial Information Secretary of Pakistan Muslim League-N and a close friend of Amir Muqam some eight months ago, is posing serious challenge to his old companion on NA-29 Peshawar-III.
He contested by-elections for NA-4 Peshawar from platform of PML-N against Arbab Amir Ayub of PTI in October 2017 and later joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf two months earlier after his successful meeting with Imran Khan.
A close aide of Amir Muqam in the past, Musazai had been preferred over senior leaguers due to his long association with the party and was awarded PMLN ticket on several occasions for general and by-elections from NA-4 Peshawar (now NA-29) constituency.
Muqam had specifically sanctioned schemes of gas supply and electrification for the constituency and made his brother Dr Ibadullah Khan the election campaign incharge for Musazai in a bid to win the bye-elections held in October last year.
The by-election in NA-4 Peshawar was easily won by PTI’s Arbab Amir Ayub, brother of late ANP MNA Arbab Zahir, with 45,774 votes. Former Speaker KP Assembly Khushdil Khan stood runner-up with 24,874 votes while Nasir Musazai who contested on PML-N ticket bagged 24,790 votes.
The by-election was necessitated after the death of PTI’s estranged MNA, Gulzar Khan. Asad Gulzar son of the late MNA Gulzar Khan had also contested the said by-election on the PPP ticket and bagged 13,000 votes.
The delimitation had brought significant changes in NA-4 constituency and former MNA Arbab Amir Ayub is now contesting from NA-28 Peshawar-II on PTI ticket, leaving Nasir Khan Musazai to contest election from NA-29 Peshawar.
Musazai had joined PTI with hope of getting ticket of a party and his plan worked. Before joining of PTI, Musazai had strongly criticized PTI leadership in the said by-elections and highly praised the leadership of PMLN. Musazai being a PTI candidate is now pitted against his former leader Amir Muqam in NA-29 and is posing serious challenge to him.
Muqam who served as Federal Minister and Advisor to the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would have to cash on the massive development work carried out by him in this constituency especially in gas and electricity head. Muqam has strong roots in the constituency besides significant vote bank of PMLN and is considered a strong candidate for NA-29 Peshawar.
The other candidates in the run include Arbab Kamal Khan (ANP), Naeem Jan (MMA), Muhammad Shafiq (Tahrik e Labaiq Pakistan) and Ghazanfar Ali (PPP) who are believed to strong candidates and can give tough time to PMLN and PTI on July 25.
It may be mentioned here that during delimitation of 2018, NA-29 (Peshawar-III) acquired areas from three former constituencies namely NA-2 Peshawar-II, NA-3 Peshawar-III and NA-4 Peshawar-IV. The major areas of Peshawar included in NA-29.
The problems faced by dwellers of this constituency are unemployment, electricity load shedding, poor roads infrastructure, lack of access to clean drinking water, solid waste management, illiteracy, poverty and inadequate health facilities in public sector hospitals and BHUc in the area.
Any candidate with solid program for solution of these issues besides social welfare programs can get a clear edge over others on July 25, 2018.