No country for old faces: Pakistan votes out established politicians

Candidates running from strong electoral bases and hometown constituencies lose to newer candidates fielded by PTI

With election results still being counted, almost 48 hours after polls closed, some losses have been particularly surprising. Candidates running from strong electoral bases and hometown constituencies have lost to newer candidates fielded by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI). The Express Tribune takes a look at some of these unexpected results and defeated candidates.

Maulana Fazlur Rahman lost both Dera Ismail Khan’s constituencies, NA-38 and NA-39, which PTI’s Ali Ameen Gandapur and Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh won respectively. Rehman’s family has been politically active in the area since the 1960’s. His father Mufti Mehmood was a founding member of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and served as chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 1972. In 2013, he won from both Dera Ismail Khan’s constituencies (NA-24, NA-25) and Lakki Marwat (NA-27). In 2008, he won from the seat in Bannu (NA-26).

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. PHOTO: INP/FILE

Rehman is seen as a shrewd politician, changing his proclaimed views often to suit his own appeal and electability. In this election, he was heading the revived Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), a cross-party alliance of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUIF), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ahle-e-Hadith, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan-Noorani (JUPN) and Tehreek-e-Islami (TI).

Asfandyar Wali Khan. PHOTO: PPI/FILE

Asfandyar Wali Khan, head of Awami National Party (ANP) lost in his native Charsadda constituency of NA-24 (Charsadda II) by 24,012 votes. He also lost in 2013 to a JUI-F candidate. Asfandyar is the grandson of Bacha Khan, who was a chief exponent of Pakhtun nationalism and the ideological precursor to ANP. He was first elected to the National Assembly in 1993, again in 1997 and 2008 and has been president of the ANP since 1999.



 

Akram Khan Durrani addressing a press conference. PHOTO: EXPRESS

Akram Khan Durrani lost in his home constituency of NA-35 (Bannu) to Imran Khan by 7,000 votes. Durrani is popular in the area for his contribution to development projects. He has set up several schools and medical centres including the Akram Durrani Model School Bannu and Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital. The PTI chief ran in this constituency as only he could have displaced Durrani. Bannu was the only Khyber Pakhtunkhwa district Khan visited twice.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. PHOTO: REUTERS

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi lost in both NA-53 (Islamabad II) and NA-57 (Rawalpindi I) - his home constituency. He, and his father Khaqan Abbasi before him have been running from this area since 1985. They only lost once in 2002. In his home constituency of Murree, (NA-57), PTI’s Sadaqat Ali Khan beat Abbasi by a margin of 11,546 votes. In the Islamabad constituency, Abbasi lost to Imran Khan by 48,577 votes.



 

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. PHOTO: AFP

Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan lost from both NA-59 (Rawalpindi III) and NA-63 (Rawalpindi VII) to PTI’s Ghulam Sarwar Khan by 22,686 votes in NA-59 and 45,219 votes in NA-63. The former interior minister has won eight consecutive elections since 1985. Nisar left PML-N last year after 35 years of close association with Nawaz Sharif and the party and was running as an independent candidate.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. PHOTO: REUTERS

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was contesting from three constituencies, NA-8 (Malakand), NA-200 (Larkana I) and NA-246 (Karachi South I) and only managed to win from the Larkana seat. The loss in NA-246 is particularly surprising as the constituency comprised of Lyari, a PPP bastion. Earlier this month, while campaigning in the Kalakot area of Lyari, the PPP convoy was pelted with stones and “Go Bilawal go” was chanted by the crowd. There is resentment in the area over the state of infrastructure and lack of basic facilities such as water supply. PTI’s Abdul Shakoor Shad won from the constituency with 52,750 votes. Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan's (TLP) candidate came in second with 42,345 votes and Bilawal third with 39,325 votes.

MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar. PHOTO: AFP

According to unofficial results, PTI has won 10 Karachi seats.
Farooq Sattar, a name synonymous with MQM lost to Amir Liaquat, the televangelist running on a PTI ticket in NA-245 (Karachi East-IV) and to Arif Alvi in NA-247 (Karachi South II) by 21,235  and 66,874 votes respectively.