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PTI’s Abrar ul Haq to be fielded from Lahore’s NA-117 constituency

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  • Haq says he’s likely to contest from NA-117.
  • PTI has never won from this constituency.
  • He has begun campaigning for polls alongside provincial ticket-holders.

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s (PTI) leader and renowned singer Abrar ul Haq will be fielded by the party in Lahore’s Shahdara area, while his brother Major (retd) Israr ul Haq will be put up against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Ahsan Iqbal in Narowal.

The singer-cum-politician has already begun his election campaign and is addressing rallies along with two ticket-holders for the provincial assembly under NA-117, Lahore 1.

This seat, ever since PTIcontested elections here in 1997, has never been won by the party’s fielded candidates. The constituency has always been claimed by PML-N or its allies, except for the years 1970 and 1977 when Pakistan Peoples Party’s SM Masood and Sher Muhammad Bhatti won.

The constituency covers areas including the entire Shahdara and the population living close to the Ravi bed and the entire Badami Bagh, Siddiqia Colony, etc.

The party, led by Chairman Imran Khan, has decided to field Haq from this seat and with the consent of the party’s high command, he has also kick-started his campaign here. 

Even if the elections for the NA and provinces are held after three to four months, a good fight is expected this time between the PML-N and PTI.

When contacted, Haq told The News that he was likely to contest from NA-117, Lahore; whereas his brother might get fielded from Narowal. In 2013 and 2018, Haq had contested two NA polls from Narowal but both times, PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal bagged victory.

Electoral history of NA-117

In 1985, in the non-party basis elections, Pir Muhammad Ashraf won from here while defeating Khawaja Tariq Rahim. In 1988, Pakistan Awami Ittehad’s (PAI) General (retd) MH Ansari won this seat against PPP’s Sheikh Rafique. Islami Jamhuri Ittehad (IJI) or its main component Muslim League had not fielded any candidate which benefitted General Ansari. In 1990’s general elections, it was IJI’s Humayun Akhtar Khan who won from here with a significant lead against PPP’s Sheikh Rafique.

In the 1993 elections, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif contested from this constituency and won comfortably against PPP’s Haji Aziz ur Rehman Chan. In the 1993 by-polls, it was Nawaz’s brother Abbas Sharif who won after a close fight with a PPP candidate.

In 1997, PML-N fielded Mian Azhar on this seat which he won with a big margin against Pakistan Muslim League-Junejo’s (PML-J) Mian Ahmed Mehmood. Between 1988 to 1997, this constituency was NA-92.

In the 2002 elections, Hafiz Salman Butt, a candidate of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) backed by PML-N won defeating the then Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) head Mian Azhar.

Butt contested the polls as an independent candidate as Muttahida Majlis–e–Amal (MMA) had also fielded its candidate Hafiz Abdul Wadood Shahid.

The constituency by then had become NA-118.

In the 2008 elections, former PML-N MPA Malik Riaz was fielded from this area and won by a big margin. In the 2013 and 2018 polls, PML-N’s Riaz once again claimed victory, but PTI candidates were in the second spot.

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Bushra Bibi maintains bail as the IHC concludes the FIA’s petition.

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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) conducted a hearing about the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) plea for the revocation of Bushra Bibi’s bail.

The court, led by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, rejected the FIA’s petition during the hearing.

Judicial Proceedings

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb sought information regarding Bushra Bibi’s location, to which her attorney, Barrister Salman Safdar, affirmed her attendance in court.

The judge urged the counsel to regard the matters with gravity, underscoring the necessity of adherence to trial protocols.

The court sought details about instances where Bushra Bibi had been exempted from attending trial hearings and clarified that if the High Court grants bail and the accused fails to appear, the trial court holds the authority to cancel the bail.

Justice Aurangzeb assured that such actions would not amount to contempt of the High Court’s order.

Based on these considerations, the court closed the proceedings and dismissed the FIA’s plea.

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The Supreme Court has granted the appeal of the PTI founder for a judicial probe into the events of May 9.

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The Supreme Court has officially accepted the plea submitted by the PTI chairman for a judicial probe into the events of May 9 for a comprehensive hearing.

The constitutional bench of the Supreme Court annulled the registrar’s office’s objections to the petition and instructed the office to allocate a case number and arrange the hearing.

The PTI chairman was represented by prominent attorney Hamid Khan, who appeared in court to argue for the petition’s admission.

The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) already convicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in connection with the incidents on May 9 and denied his bail on eight distinct counts.

The court’s finding was delivered in a six-page written order by ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gul.

The written ruling emphasized substantial evidence against the PTI founder, comprising audio and visual recordings of his directives to incite violence.

The court observed that witnesses had provided testimony on the conspiracy planned by Imran Khan at Zaman Park, where he purportedly strategized for his possible arrest by intending to disrupt state functions via his supporters.

Imran Khan’s legal counsel contended that he was in custody at the time of the incidents, proposing that bail be granted in accordance with precedents where bail was awarded in like circumstances following detention.

Nevertheless, the court rejected this argument, underscoring that the case’s nature was not a trifling issue of conspiracy or incitement.

The prosecution established that Mr. Khan had explicitly incited assaults on military and governmental facilities and had galvanized both his commanders and supporters to adhere to his directives.

The decision additionally cited the Lahore High Court’s finding regarding a prior release granted to Ijaz Chaudhry, highlighting Imran Khan’s involvement in the conspiracy. The court dismissed the defense’s challenge over the prosecution’s lack of specificity concerning the date, time, or location of the purported conspiracy, affirming that the scheme was allegedly devised on May 7 and May 9 at Zaman Park.

The prosecution asserts that undercover police officers, masquerading as PTI supporters, intercepted discussions outlining the scheme.

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188 cases nationwide have been filed against the PTI founder.

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This increase, according to details, followed the submission of a report to the Islamabad High Court in response to a petition brought by Norin, the sister of the PTI founder.

Punjab has the most cases against Imran Khan (99), according to the Ministry of Interior’s report that breaks down the cases by area.

There are 76 cases in Islamabad, according to the Islamabad Police data, compared to two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In addition, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is investigating three instances, while the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is still investigating seven cases.

Cases against Imran Khan also concern the protests in October, November, and December. In addition, there is an ongoing appeal in the Toshakhana criminal case against his sentencing.

Yesterday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder along with 60 other PTI leaders were indicted in the GHQ attack case.

Imran Khan and sixty other party leaders were charged in the GHQ attack case by Judge Amjad Ali Shah of the anti-terrorism court.

Imran Khan, who is presently detained at Adiala Jail, was released on bail in the Toshakhana case but was arrested again by the police in the New Town PS case.

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