Attock dates back to the era of Ashoka the great. During the British Raj, the district was named Campbellpur and the General Ziaul Haq government changed it to Attock in 1978.

Most of the population of the district is engaged in agriculture. Clans and tribes play an important role in electoral politics. Some of the key clans residing in the district are Awan, Milar, Shaikh and Khattar. As this is one of the chief recruitment centers for the Pakistani land forces, politicians of the area take a pro-army line in national politics.

Constituencies:

NA57:

Malik Amin Aslam Khan, former state minister in Shaukat Aziz’s cabinet, who won this seat in 2002, is contesting the February elections as an independent candidate. Khan was awarded the PMLQ ticket but he returned it because of the party leadership’s support for his rival, Eman Waseem. Waseem is Chaudhry Shujaat Hussein’s niece and her father, Major (retd) Tahir Sadiq is the nazim of Attock. Sheikh Aftab of the PMLN and Azam Bokhari of the PPP are also banking on the traditional vote banks of their parties in Attock city. However, in the wake of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, the PPP is expecting to benefit from sympathy votes in favour of the party.

NA58:

The former chief minister of Punjab, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, is the PMLQ candidate for this constituency: his relative Major Tahir Sadiq is the district nazim here. The 2002 winner from this constituency was Malik Allahayar Khan representing the PMLQ. Sardar Shahnawaz Khunda of the PPP and Malik Sohail Khan of the PMLN are the other contenders. Both the PPP and the PMLN candidates enjoy influence and support in the area. And once again, the PPP is confident that it will win valuable sympathy votes.

NA59:

Waseem Gulzar, the son-in-law of the district nazim,Tahir Sadiq, is contesting the elections as the PMLQ candidate. In 2002, the PMLQ had fielded Eman Waseem, Sadiq’s daughter, who won from this constituency. PPP has fielded Sardar Saleem Haider Khan. PMLN has awarded its ticket to Asif Ali Malik, who does not belong to the traditional influential classes of the area. This constituency encompasses the Fatehjang area, which is considered a PPP stronghold. In the last parliamentary election, Waseem secured this seat. Later she vacated it for Shaukat Aziz.