DERA GHAZI KHAN, Oct 13: The Legharis of Millat Party have wiped out the Khosas of PML-N from local politics for the time being, winning five provincial and two national assembly seats of the district.

The Khosas, led by Punjab PML-N president former governor Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, were not able to defend their half-century old influence in Dera Ghazi Khan and Taunsa, not even with the help of the Maqsood Leghari group.

Neither the PPP nor the PML-N got a seat in the district. The oppositions parties failed to adopt a joint strategy against the King’s parties.

The PML-Q got NA-171 and PP-240 and 241 as expected. The successful candidate on NA-171, Khwaja Sheraz, had been Tehsil Nazim of Taunsa before contesting the general election. On PP-241 succeeded Fateh Mohammed Buzdar, son of Usman Khan Buzdar, who is Tehsil Nazim of tribal area. Mir Badshah Qaisrani, the head of Qaisrani tribe, succeeded on PP-240. The constituency is dominated by the Qaisrani tribe. Mir Badshah had become head of his tribe after the death of his father Tumandar Zahoor Khan Qaisrani. The decision to allow him to contest elections was controversial, as he had earlier been disqualified by the returning officer for his allegedly fake graduation degree.

On NA-172, Millat Party chief Farooq Khan Leghari succeeded against his nephew Mohammed Khan Leghari. District Nazim Alhaj Jamal Khan Leghari happened to be his son. Mr Jamal’s brother, Awais Leghari, won NA-173.

On PP-242, Javed Akhtar Lond of Millat Party succeeded. He had resigned from the office of Shadan Lond Nazim and enjoyed the support of Londs as well as that of the district government.

On PP-243, Mohammed Khan Leghari, son of dissident Leghari Maqsood Khan, defeated his uncle, Jaafar Khan Leghari of Millat Party, who, however, succeeded at NA-174.

On PP-244, a candidate from the middle-class, Aleem Shah, broke the half-century hold of Khosas with the backing of Millat Party. Mr Shah defeated the son of PML-N Punjab president.

Mr Khosa had claimed while speaking to the district bar in connection with the election campaign of his son that no political party had a role in his native constituency of PP-244.

PP-245 was easily won by the Millat Party chief as it fell in a Leghari-dominated area.

On PP-246, Yousaf Leghari of Millat Party, cousin of the district Nazim, defeated Mr Saifuddin.

Tumandars of Buzdar, Qaisrani, Leghari and Lond tribes won all but two seats of the provincial and national assemblies. The exceptions were NA-171 and PP-244.

According to local political analysts, the self-centred policies of Zulfiqar Khosa and the alleged support of district and Tehsil governments paved the way for the victory of Millat Party and PML-Q.