TOBA TEK SINGH: Though the general elections are more than two years away, Gojra’s political scene is humming with electoral activities after the seat allocation issue has the influential Warraich family in three factions – all headed by brothers.

The bone of contention is NA-111 and PP-118 seats.

PTI MPA Bilal Asghar Warraich on Thursday vowed to run for both seats in the next elections.

Bilal is the elder brother of Khalid Javed Warraich, PML-N MNA for NA-111. Then enters their eldest brother, former MNA Amjad Ali Warraich, who was earlier with Bilal against Khalid and in the 2018 election, Amjad was a candidate for NA -111. Bilal was also a candidate against Khalid who contested simultaneously for NA-111 and PP-118 as a PML-N candidate and defeated both his elder and younger brothers.

Later, Khalid retained the NA seat and put his wife, Fauzia Warraich, as a PML-N candidate in the by-poll for PP-118 but her nomination papers were rejected as she was the district council chairperson. Then Khalid fielded one of his close aides, Mansoor Ahmad Bhango, as a PML-N candidate. Their mother, however, intervened in the electoraldispute and compelled Khalid to support his younger brother in the elections. It was decided Bilal would contest as an independent-cum-PML-N supported candidate. When Bilal won the by-poll, he visited the house of Khalid after several years and thanked him for supporting him. After a few weeks, Bilal, instead of joining the PML-N, went to the PTI.This again created fissure among brothers.

Now, the three Warraich brothers have split into their own groups. Eldest brother Amjad is unwell but his eldest son Barrister Hassam Ali Warraich has started his campaign. MNA Khalid has recently announced that he himself will again be a candidate for NA-111 and his eldest son, Aqba Ali Warraich, will be a PML-N ticket holder for PP-118.

On Thursday, Bilal announced that he will simultaneously contest from both NA 111 and PP 118.

It means that in the next general election three groups of all three Warraich brothers will confront each other.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2021