Division among Qureshis gives edge to PML-N candidate in NA-152

MULTAN: Bodlas, Arains, Qureshis, Ranas and Khans are the key players in NA-152 (Khanewal-III), a constituency of tehsil Mian Channu, said political workers and civil society activists while talking to The News.

Pir Aslam Bodla of PML-N had won the slot with 94,050 votes in 2013, PTI candidate Pir Zahoor Hussain Qureshi (runner-up) received 72,126 votes and PPP candidate Haider Zaman Qureshi bagged 28,237 votes in NA-152 (previously NA-158 Khanewal-III).

The Qureshi family has been divided into Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, giving an edge to Bodla of PML-N. In the upcoming elections, PML-N has fielded Pir M Aslam Bodla, PTI gave ticket to Zahoor Hussain Qureshi and Pakistan People's Party may field Haider Zaman Qureshi from NA-152 Khanewal-III. The candidates of PTI and PPP are close relatives as the sister of Pir Shujaat Hussnain Qureshi, father of PTI candidate Zahoor Hussein Qureshi, is the mother of PPP candidate Haider Zaman Qureshi. Moreover, Zahoor Hussain Qureshi’s mother is the sister of PTI vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Pir Aslam Bodla has thrice been elected from the constituency in the past elections despite changing political loyalties in each election, giving an advantage of division in Qureshi families to Bodlas.

Mian Channu tehsil had remained the strong nucleus for the PPP until the PPP boycott the non-party elections of 1985. The Bodlas are sub-tribe to Arains. Pir Aslam Bodla's father Pir Sanaullah Bodla entered the politics due to vacuum created after the PPP’s 1985 boycott and was elected as MNA and Ghulam Haider Wyne as MPA. Wyne defeated Pir Aslam Bodla on the National Assembly slot when Bodla contested on a PPP ticket in 1988. Wyne again defeated Bodla in 1990. Wyne was murdered in 1993. Pir Shujaat Hassnain left the PML and elected as MPA on a PPP ticket in 1993. Pir Shujaat Hussnain and Majeeda Wyne failed to contest election in 2002 after failing to produce their graduation degrees. This had provided an opportunity to Pir Aslam Bodla to easily win the national seat on the PPP ticket, while Zahoor Qureshi won the provincial seat also on the PPP ticket. Bodla promptly joined the PML-Q government as part of the PPP Forward Block after the 2002 elections. In 2008 general elections, Pir Aslam Bodla contested on the PML-Q ticket from NA-152 and won the slot with 57,777 votes, PPP fielded Haider Qureshi who received 56,821 votes and PML-N candidate Farhat Ullah Khan received 39,357 votes. In 2002 general elections Pir Aslam Bodla contested on a PPP ticket and won the slot of NA-152 with 73,481 votes, Fakhar Imam contested from PML-Q while PML-N’s Farhat Ullah received 18,094 votes.

PP-207 (KHANEWAL-V): PTI has fielded Syed Abbas Ali Shah from PP-207 Khanewal-V (previously PP-216 Khanewal-V), PML-N has issued party ticket to Amir Hayat Haraj and PPP is yet to announce its candidate. PML-N candidate Amir Hayat Haraj won the slot in 2013 general elections and received 34,208 votes, PTI candidate Syed Abbas Ali Shah received 21,577 votes and PPP candidate Mahar Imran Haider Sanpal bagged 10,855 votes. In 2008 general elections, Amir Hiaat Haraj contested on a PML-Q ticket and won the slot with 24,144 votes, PPP candidate Mushtaq Ahmad Shah received 17,048 votes and PML-N candidate Shehzad Khakwani received 23,972 votes. In 2002, Pir Mushtaq Ahmed Shah contested on a PPP ticket and won the slot with 23,726 votes. Shahzad Khakwani contested from the PML-N side and received 20,844 votes while PML-Q’s Mehr Umer Hayat Khan Haraj received 20,481 votes.

PP-208 (KHANEWAL-VI): The PML-N has issued ticket to Rana Babar from the constituency, PTI to Jamshaid Shaukat while the PPP is yet to announce its candidate. PML-N candidate Rana Babar Hussain won the slot in 2013 with 49,402 votes, PTI candidate Maqsood Alam received 20,014 votes and PPP candidate Ahmer Hussein Cheema got 13,905 votes. In 2008 elections, Rana Babar Hussain contested on a PPP ticket and won the slot with 39,938 votes, PML-Q’s Zahoor Hussain Qureshi received 31,229 votes and PML-N’s Abdul Razziq Chaudhry bagged 17,937 votes.