All eyes are on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s NA-4 constituency which will fill the seat that fell vacant after the death of
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA Gulzar Khan on Aug 27. The constituency is crucial not only because by-elections significantly determine the outcomes of general elections, but more importantly, the constituency is a litmus test for Imran Khan’s PTI that was facing a tough task to save its seat after JUI-F and QWP withdrew their candidates in favour of PML-N. Besides ANP and PPP, three-parties-alliance of PML-N, QWP and JUI-F is posing a serious threat to PTI.
Of the 15 candidates contesting, eight are independent. According to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), more than 0.3 million votes are registered in the constituency.
Here’s all you need to know about NA-4 by-election:
Though the rules stipulated by Election Commission makes it illegal to initiate development work in an area where election schedule has been announced, PTI’s government in the province has installed solar-powered panels at mosques, tube wells near agricultural lands and carpeted several roads in the area, arguing that the work was part of the annual development projects and has no link with the polls.
On the other hand, PML-N’s federal government has also installed new transformers and gas pipelines in the NA-4 constituency. However, the PML-N has contended that the projects were approved during the late Gulzar Khan’s tenure by the then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Also, most of the elections held in Pakistan’s rural areas are determined and influenced by the tribal affiliations; support from influential baradari can translate into a victory in the NA-4 by-polls.