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Today's Paper | February 28, 2026

Updated 26 Jul, 2018 09:02am

Wooing the biradari for support in Gujranwala

Former defence minister Khurram Dastagir Khan (top left), Ali Ashraf Mughal, Toufeeq Ahmed Butt and S.A. Hameed (bottom right) on their campaigns.—Dawn

Although the latest delimitation of constituencies only cost Gujranwala one National Assembly seat, there is stiff competition for the remaining six national and 14 provincial seats.

What do campaigners think is the best strategy to capture them? The biradari blocs.

“The biradari figures prominently in discussions as deras come alive, hosting strategists advising the assembly aspirants on how to get through to victory against equally well-equipped opponents.”

But with increasing scrutiny and dissatisfaction with PML-N’s undelivered promises in the area, change is in the air. Will Gujranwala’s voters choose to vote for change, or play it safe with the affiliations of kinship and patronage?

Read Mansoor Malik’s whole analysis here.

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