[Dawn] Islamists could obtain only 4.72 per cent votes in the nine National Assembly seats of Rawalpindi district and the federal capital in the May 11 elections.
Out of the 1.86 million votes polled for the two National Assembly seats of Islamabad and seven Rawalpindi district, the Islamic and sect-based parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami
...The Islamic Society , founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer . The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
and the JUI-F, managed to bag only 88,101 votes.
The trend showing that Paks do not vote for religious elements or any party representing their sect has been taken as a welcome sign by many even in the religious circles.
"I am happy to see that people vote for the mainstream without considerations to their religion or sect," said Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, the chief of Pakistain Ulema Council.
"People have rejected sectarianism and extremism. Look at Jhang, the centre of Sipah-e-Sahaba. The PML-N candidate has won there," he said.
The two primarily sect-based groups active in the arena of Rawalpindi and Islamabad in the elections 2013 were the Shia Majlis Wahdat Moslemeen (MWM), the newest entrant into politics as it got itself registered only in February 2013.
The other mainly sect-based group was the Muttahida Deeni Mahaz (MDM), which was the only electoral alliance in the general elections, led by Maulana Samiul Haq
...the Godfather of the Taliban, leader of his own faction of the JUI. Known as Mullah Sandwich for his habit of having two young boys at a time...
, chief of his own faction of Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spends more time running his madrassah. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability...
The MDM comprised five small groups belonging to the Deobandi school of thought, including Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat
...which is the false nose and plastic mustache of the murderous banned extremist group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain, whatcha might call the political wing of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi...
(ASWJ), the reincarnation of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain
...a Sunni Deobandi organization, a formerly registered Pak political party, established in the early 1980s in Jhang by Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi. Its stated goal is to oppose Shia influence in Pakistain. They're not too big on Brelvis, either. Or Christians. Or anybody else who's not them. The organization was banned in 2002 as a terrorist organization, but somehow it keeps ticking along, piling up the corpse counts...
Both the groups were confident of a respectable finish in the elections.
"Islam has been and will remain the most important aspect of Pak society and you can see that only the Islamists can bring a change in the system which currently is based on exploitation and interest (riba)," Maulana Samiul Haq had told Dawn prior to the elections.
Among the most decorated and confident candidates of the MDM was Maulana Mohammad Ishtiaq Abbasi from PP-1 Murree, because of his religious standing in the area and his sound background. He belongs to the local majority Abbasi clan.
Due to sound financial standing, he was also the only provincial assembly candidate in the country to have aired his own paid advertisements on TV channels.
Despite all these cards and the expected support from the network of Madressahs in the area, Ishtiaq Abbasi of the MDM obtained only 13,757 votes, making him finish at the fourth slot way behind 21,433 of the PTI candidate, 23,498 of the PML-Q and 51,108 of the winning PML-N.
Besides, the combined votes of MDM with other religious parties, including the JI and the Jamaat Ulema-e-Pakistain (Noorani), a Barelvi group, come to 20,462, putting it at number four.
For NA-50, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of the PML-N, the winner, bagged 133,906 votes followed by 46,819 (PTI) and 44,713 (PPP).
But the four candidates each from the two Barelvi-based small parties (Markazi Jamaat Mushaikh Pakistain and Pakistain Sunni Tehrik
...formed in Karachi in 1992 under by Muhammad Saleem Qadri. It quickly fell to trading fisticuffs and assassinations with the MQM and the Sipah-e-Sahaba, with at least a half dozen of its major leaders rubbed out. Sunni Tehreek arose to become the primary opposition to the Deobandi Binori Mosque, headed by Nizamuddin Shamzai, who was eventually bumped off by person or persons unknown. ST's current leadership has heavily criticized the Deobandi Jihadi leaders, accusing them of being sponsored by Indian Intelligence agencies as well as involvement in terrorist activities...
), JI and JUI-F got a total of 16,324 votes.
"The voters are mature and people go for party-based politics, they understand different things," Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said, cautiously choosing his words not to criticise the religious elements.
Meanwhile,
...back at the laboratory the smoke and fumes had dispersed, to reveal an ominous sight...
the ASWJ blamed rigging by the PML- N for their poor performance and presented justifications for the low vote cast.
"We are a new entrant in politics in this region and the people were not well aware of our presence," said Tayyab Hydri, a front man for ASWJ.
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Nawaz Sharif
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Wazoo
...Smallest of the agencies in FATA. The Agency administration is located in Khar. Bajaur is inhabited almost exclusively by Tarkani Pashtuns, which are divided into multiple bickering subtribes. Its 52 km border border with Afghanistan's Kunar Province makes it of strategic importance to Pakistain's strategic depth...
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