With the PPP governance record; wipe out in the AJK was not unexpected. What is however strange is that PTI & their allies in KPK, also had abysmal showing in these elections.
It may be true that the party ruling at the Centre always does better in the AJK, but virtual clean sweep by PML-N despite the Panama leaks???
My theory is the Pakistani public having the attitude “Sub karte hain” meaning they all do it; does not care much about Panama leaks & the corruption. If PTI had worked wonders in the KPK, Imran Khan would have been able to declare that you look at PTI gov’t in KPK, if we are voted in; we would perform even better in the AJK. Instead he simply repeated the same old corruption charges ad nauseam. While I don’t like Taliban Khan’s continued tilt toward the extremists, a strong opposition is a must to impede ruling party bull dosing whatever legislation they fancy. Sadly at this point in time, PTI appears to be the only viable opposition to PML-N.
Jamaat Islami is still suffering from their previous terrorist supporting Amir, the bigot Munawwar Hassan who declared Baitulah Mahsood ‘Shaheed’ but Army jawans as merely ‘Killed’. Anti- Pakistan JI deserves this rejection by the voters.
PPP; just like ANP & MQM; is fast changing into a regional party limited to the rural Sind. I don’t blame the public for shunning them; I blame political stalwarts like Aitzaz Ahsan, Raza Rabbani & Qamruz Zaman Kaira etc. for accepting a young kid straight out of college, Bilawal Bhutto as their leader. Is this a political party or ‘ Principality’ where the leader can only be from the Bhutto progeny?