BAHAWALNAGAR, Aug 16: The party-less elections are pushing the Jatt-Arain strife in the district to an alarming magnitude, further strengthening biradarism in the local politics.
Electoral grouping based on biradarism in the local polls has created a rift even within the ruling PML. The Jatt group is being represented by former district nazim Ali Akbar Waince and former Chishtiyaan tehsil nazim Tahir Basheer Cheema while the Arain biradri is being led by not other than federal minister Ijazul Haq and former federal minister Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor.
There are five tehsils in the district namely Bahawalnagar (31 UCs), Chishtiyaan (29 UCs), Haroonabad (22 UCs), Minchinabad (22 UCs) and Fort Abbas (16 UCs).
The Waince-Cheema alliance enjoys the support of provincial minister Khadim Hussain Kalooka and MPA Nazar Muhammad Shah, while the Arain alliance has the backing of MNA Syed Muhammad Asghar Shah, and MPA Haji Tahir Muhammad.
However, a powerful group representing the component parties of the ARD is also in the field. MNA Mian Mumtaz Matiana, MPAs Muhammad Yar Mamoka and Rao Ijaz Ali Khan and PML-N district president former MPA Sufi Muhammad Akram are the ringmasters of this group. Besides, the Laleka clan is also vying to continue the political legacy of late Abdul Sattar Laleka. But, reports say the Lalekas are facing a cold shoulder from the PML-Q’s central and provincial leadership.
Though former district naib-nazim Shaukat Laleka, PML-Q provincial joint-secretary, was among the aspirants for Bahawalnagar tehsil nazim’s slot, the party has nominated Syed Muhammad Qalander Shah for the office. However, Mr Laleka is being supported by the ARD silently for the office of tehsil nazim.
In Minchinabad, once considered a stronghold of Mian Khadim Kalooka, this time all the political forces have joined hands with MNA Asghar Shah. But, Kalooka is not giving up and allegedly using all the might of his office to turn tables onto his opponents.
His rival camp has nominated Tariq Gadoka, the brother of advisor to Punjab CM Sardar Khan Gadoka, for the office of Minchinabad tehsil nazim, while Minister Khadim Kalooka has yet to make an announcement in this regard.
The Jatt group is facing a tough competition in Chishtiyaan tehsil. Ali Akbar Waince’s son MPA Abdullah Waince has teamed up with former tehsil nazim Tahir Bashir Cheema, while Mumtaz Matiana, PML-Q MPA Tahir and former MPAs Sufi Akram and Chaudhry Jameel have joined hands with the Jatts. The group opposing the Jatts here has succeeded in winning a couple of union council seats unopposed.
In Haroonabad tehsil, Ijazul Haq has teamed up with MPA Ghulam Murtaza and veteran politician Chaudhry Ghafoor against former tehsil nazim Malik Abdul Haq, who is being backed by Ali Akbar Waince.
In Fort Abbas, Waince-Cheema alliance is perhaps most vulnerable, being opposed even by the Jatts. The Ijazul-Ghafoor alliance is pulling strings here in aide with PPP MPA Shahid Anjum, former MPAs Rauf Jatt, Sufi Bashir and former tehsil nazim Chaudhry Javed.
Sources in the tehsil say that there is an understanding among Ijazul Haq, Chaudhry Ghafoor, Mumtaz Matiana, Rao Ijaz and Sufi Akram that they would envisage a joint strategy in case the Waince-Cheema alliance gets a sizable portion of seats on August 18.
The Jatts’ campaign initially received a cold response from the people as federal minister Ijazul Haq was inspiring the voters with his presence. However, enthusiasm has now been infused among the Jatts in the district with the nomination of Ali Akbar Waince as the candidate for the top district slot by Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, who in his certain decisions has been reflecting a strong consciousness of belonging to the Jatt clan.