SIALKOT - The dynastic politics cannot be ignored here especially in NA-111 constituency, and thus is gaining momentum with every passing day. The candidates fielded by the main stream political parties are also battling for getting support of influential families.
The pre-polls political arena here has now proved that the role of families has become vital as it was in the 2002 and 2008 general elections. The families are mainly supporting the candidates belonging to them, putting aside their political affiliation, promoting a new political agenda and giving the political choice.
Araayeen and Gujjar clans are in majority in this constituency, comprising the far-off bordering villages along the Sialkot Working Boundary. In 2008 general elections, PPP’s Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan had defeated Chaudhry Ameer Hussain, the then speaker of National Assembly, and PML-N’s Idrees Ahmed Bajwa. The PPP has fielded Dr Firdous again in the constituency. She belongs to Awan family and has taken with her local Araayeen family’s President Mian Abid Javaid in provincial province constituency PP-121. Now, both Awan and Araayeen families are fully supporting both Dr Firdous and Abid Javaid. Dr Firdous had got 78,925 votes against Ameer Hussain who got 46,372 votes and Idrees Ahmed got 38,193 votes during the 2008 general elections. The second largest is Gujjar clan here. Earlier, it was divided into the three main groups and now this clan has become united. It is now fully supporting PML-N’s candidate Ch Armughan Subhani (Variyo family’s scion belonging to Gujjar clan) in NA-111 and PTI’s candidate Ch Asif Ameer Hussain in PP 121.
Now, the Gujjar family seems to be united on its only one point political agenda of supporting all the candidates belonging to this clan. Variyo family’s Armughan Subhani, has got the support of his Gujjar clan.
The PTI has brought Muhammad Ajmal Cheema (the PML-Q backed former provincial minister and very close relative of the Chaudharies of Gujrat) in NA-111. He is also enjoying the support of his Jutt family, which is not in majority in this constituency. He has been elected as MPA on PML-Q ticket from PP-121 during 2002 general elections. But, in 2008 general elections, he was defeated by PML-N’s Rana Tariq Mehmood Harnah.
MPA Tariq Harnah had died in a fatal road accident near Daska. Later, Ajmal Cheema of PML-Q was again defeated by PML-N’s Rana Muhammad Iqbal Harnah (the father of the deceased MPA Tariq Harnah) in by polls held here in 2008. Later, Ajmal Cheema and his younger brother Muhammad Akmal Cheema (the PML-Q backed former District Nazim of Sialkot) joined the PTI after quitting in 2012 the PML-Q despite enjoying the very close association with Ch Shujaat Hussain and Ch Pervaiz Elahi.
Now, ahead of the 2013 general elections, Ajmal Cheema is testing his political luck by jumping in NA-111 on PTI platform instead of contesting an election from PP-121, from where he had contested 2002 and 2008 general elections.
The candidates belonging to the main stream political parties and rival families ar emuch worried about getting support of their opponent families.