Personalities matter most in Dera Ghazi Khan election scene

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Powerful political parties move to the backdrop when it comes to the tribal chiefs and feudal lords of the semi tribal conservative district of Dera Ghazi Khan where the personalities matters the most instead of the political parties.

Some of the Sardars have joined the ranks of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) while some of them are still part of the Pakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz (PML-N) despite the fact that the latter is facing issues in finding the suitable contestants on various seats.

The district with four seats of the national assembly and eight seats of the provincial assembly is almost dominated by the five major tribes which include Leghari, Khosa, Lound, Buzdar and Qaisrani.

Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari of the Pakistan Mulsim League-Nis contesting from NA-191 and PP-292 against Zartaj Gul of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf for the National Assembly seat while Sardar M Khan Leghari for the provincial assembly.

Since last two general elections, Sardar Awais Leghari has been contesting against Sardar Saifuddin Khan Khosa but this time both have opted not to contest against each other and have changed their constituencies.

It is believed that Sardar Awais Leghari would enjoy the space in absence of the candidate from the Khosa group.

Independent analysts believe that it is some sort of unannounced and indirect compromise and support. Interestingly, Legharis have not fielded contestant against Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa who is contesting the election from NA-190. Moreover the close aide of Sardar Awais Leghari and former MPA Sardar Javed Akhtar Lound has recently joined the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf after quitting the Pakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz and is now contesting from the PP-287.

Although the Leghari camp denies such developments but there is an impression among the masses that it is part of the understanding to grab maximum seats by the both major tribes within their territorial hubs. Similarly for NA-189, the Buzdar tribe is supporting the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf contestant Khawja Sheraz Mehmood.

Former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif is contesting from NA-192 with most part of the constituency comprised of tehsil Kot Chutta, as per the idea of former federal minister Sardar Awais Leghari who surrendered himself from contesting the elections and opted to change his constituency.

Tehsil Kot Chutta is the area from where Leghari chiefs have been winning the election for most of the times and now Sardar Awais Leghari has invited Shahbaz Sharif to face Sardar M Khan Leghari of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf.

The political observers are of the view that it is an easy target of the Pakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz as Sardar Awais Leghari

and Sardar Mehmood Qadir Khan Leghari are the part of his provincial wings

from PP-291 and PP-292 while such planning and strategy of Legharis would ultimately pay them

in the future political scenario.

On the other hand, Sardar M Khan Leghari does not enjoy much more support in that constituency as over 30 years, it has been the focused and the flashed area by the Legharis where maximum chairman of the union councils belong to their group. As far as the Lound tribe is concerned, it is being supported by neighboring Khosa tribe who has fielded Sardar Javeed Akhtar Lound for PP-287.

The majority of the Lound tribe is expected to support Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa as vice versa.

The observers believe as the area is deeply entangled in the tribal as well as the feudal system so there is no room left for the political parties to grow.