Bilal Farooq Tarar. photo (file)
LAHORE:
The PML-N has secured a walkover in NA-66 after its candidate, the younger brother of federal information minister Ata Tarar, was declared the winner unopposed.
Bilal Farooq Tarar, the PML-N candidate from NA-66, was on Saturday declared elective after all other candidates gradually withdrew from the race. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued Form 32 for this purpose.
It is pertinent to mention that PTI had officially decided not to contest the election, which led to the withdrawal of its candidate. The PPP also pulled out in favor of the PML-N as part of a wider understanding of seat realignment.
The only remaining party with the potential to attract a significant vote bank – the TLP – was effectively excluded by the Punjab government, with much of its leadership either on the run or behind bars. Although the ban was imposed for religious reasons, in practice it functioned as an all-encompassing restriction.
The TLP had secured the third-highest number of votes from this constituency in the previous election, and some political observers speculate that the crackdown on the party, after its attempt to hold a pro-Palestine rally, was aimed at eliminating a potential political challenger in Punjab.
Despite the election becoming a horse race, intra-party challenges remained a concern as candidates denied tickets often contest as independents. But this issue was also resolved. The seat – long associated with the Cheema family, which had represented the party in the last three elections – was allotted to Bilal Tarar to help the Tarar family build its political base.
Nisar Cheema was allegedly asked to support Bilal Tarar with promises of future rewards. Even if Cheema had chosen to break the ranks, sources suggest that he might not have been able to contest the election.
Separately, in NA-96, Nawab Sher Waseer reportedly refused to step down in favor of Bilal Bader Chaudhry, brother of the state minister for interior Talal Chaudhry. Police raids were allegedly conducted to pressure Waseer to resign, allegedly on the minister’s instructions.
