FAISALABAD: The Baloch vote will again play a decisive role in NA-103 (Faisalabad) constituency as all the mainstream parties have fielded candidates belonging to Baloch clan as usual.

The Pakistan Muslim League-N has fielded Ali Gohar Baloch, younger brother of its late MNA Rajab Ali Baloch from the constituency, while the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has pitched Saadullah Baloch and the PPP awarded ticket to Shahadat Ali Baloch.

The constituency of NA-103 (old NA-78) comprises Tandlianwala and some areas of Sattiana.

Both Saadullah and Shahadat had also contested from the constituency in the last general elections, but were defeated by Rajab Baloch.

Sikandar Ali Jattoi of the PML-N is contesting from PP-102, that falls under NA-103, against the PTI’s Adil Pervez Gujjar and the PPP’s Sardar Hassan Jattoi.

Former MPA Jaffar Ali Hocha is contesting for PP-103 on the PML-N, facing the PTI’s Shamsheer Haider Wattoo and the PPP’s Rai Anwar Kharral.

As per local observers, other than the Balochs, Wattoo, Kharral, Kathia and Veniwal clans can also play a significant role in the constituency.

Two PML-N candidates -- Mr Hocha and Mr Ali Gohar -- are running their campaigns separately as they are not on good terms with each others. Their supporters had also traded fire in a Tandlianwala market a couple of months ago.

The locals say that Mr Hocha had been in contact with them throughout his tenure as an MPA, which will win him considerable support this time.

However, about Ali Gohar, they say that he will get some sympathy votes because of the death of his brother Rajab Ali Baloch following a protracted illness.

They are of the view that if PML-N elders failed to reconcile Ali Gohar and Hocha, PTI could take advantage of it.

They say the Gohar family was introduced in the politics by former minister Nasir Ali, who was this time struggling for the victory of his son Saadullah, a PTI candidate. But still the Gohars have a strong vote bank in the constituency because of late MNA Rajab Ali’s work in the area following his 2013 win.

Late Rajab Ali had remained runner up in the 2008 elections when he was defeated by Raheela Baloch of the PML-Q.

In the last general elections Rajab had bagged 88,162 votes against 45,924 votes of Safdar Shakir, an independent candidate. Shahadat Ali of the PPP had got 23,274 votes and PTI’s Saadullah could get only 11,297 votes in 2013.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2018