TAXILA: As the countdown for the third phase of the local government elections in Punjab began, observers say clan affiliations biradari system will play a strong role in Taxila on the polling day on December 5.

It has been observed that almost all major political parties, including the ruling PML-N and its rival PTI, are banking on the local biradaries to win the elections.

The major biradaris here are Zaildar, Khattar, Kashmiri and Malik who would play a dominating role in the elections.

According to local political observers, the biradari system is important in the rural areas while there are also some ideological voters who vote for their respective political parties.

In Taxila, the group of Riaz Hussain Shah belongs to the PML-N but it has fielded independent candidates having clan affiliations.

Similarly, Haji Dildar group, which belongs to the PPP, is contesting the elections independently to cash on its own intact biradari vote bank. The group of PTI MNA Ghulam Sarwar Khan also has its own vote bank in the area.

“Clan affiliation is more important than parties in Taxila” said Zaheer Hussain Shah of the Zaildar family. Mr Shah said he and his family always used their right of franchise in accordance with the decision of their elders.

“Well before each election, a proper meeting of our biradari is held for taking a final decision,” he added.

Humayun Butt, a local elder of the Kashmiri family, said in the local government elections people in the rural areas cast their votes in support of their groups. “So there is no loyalty for a candidate but for a group.”

Afsar Khan, a candidate for councillor, said biradari factor had a deep impact on political alignments of the people of Taxila.” 

Aftab Hussain, the vice-chairman of a local NGO, added that biradari system was more important than party tickets in Taxila.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2015