SIALKOT, Dec 23: The traditional Biradari factor and the very much presence of three major political parties in election arena promise thrilling contests for five national and 11 Punjab assembly constituencies in the district.

People belonging to Kashmiri, Gujjar, Jatt, Arain, Awan, Mughal and Sheikh Biadaries are dominant in most of the constituencies of the district.

In NA-110 (Sialkot-I), the PML-Q will face a tough time as the city has always been a stronghold of the PML-N. Both PML-N and PML-Q have fielded their old players while the PPP has fielded a fresh aspirant.

PML-N’s central leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif was elected to the National Assembly thrice from this constituency. He knocked out PML-Q’s Mian Muhammad Riaz in the 2002 elections. Both Riaz and Khawaja Asif are facing each other again from their respective political pedestals while the PPP has given ticket to Ch Zahid Bashir, instead of its 2002 candidate Raja Aamir Khan.

Khawaja Asif is enjoying the support of Kashmiri Biradari, while the Arain Biradari remains split. Some Arain clansmen are supporting PML-Q’s Riaz while the rest are supporting PPP’s Zahid Bashir.

Similar is the situation for NA-111, Bajwat, where PPP has fielded Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan against NA speaker Ch Amir Hussain of the PML-Q while the PML-N has retained Idrees Bajwa.

Both Amir Hussain and Idrees Bajwa were the PML-Q and PML-N candidates in the last elections, respectively. Dr Firdaus, who was a former PML-Q MNA, but defected to the PPP a few months ago, has accused Amir Hussain of using official resources to run his electioneering.

The NA speaker enjoys full support of his Gujjar Biradari, particularly after Khush Akhtar Subhani, a scion of Variyo family and also Gujjar by caste, retired in his favour after striking a deal.

Idrees Bajwa enjoys the support of Jatt and Arain clans while local Awan Biradari is supporting Dr Firdaus.

Though PML-Q President Ch Shujaat Hussain is contesting for NA-112, Sambarial, considering it a ‘safe constituency’, he has not yet visited the area for once after depositing nomination papers. Besides Shujaat’s son Shaafay Hussain, PML-Q’s candidate for PP-131, Azeem Noori Ghuman, who is former chairman of the Punjab Public Accounts Committee, is running Shujaat’s campaigning.

However, all the three mainstream parties have fielded new faces for this constituency. The PML-N has fielded Uggoki-based former MPA Rana Shamim Ahmad’s son Rana Abdul Sattar and PPP has launched Col Sultan Sikandar Ghuman (retired). The area has been stronghold of the PML-N and Rana Shamim’s son is to give Ch Shujaat a tough time.

The PML-Q candidates are also facing a strong deal of criticism by a majority of Double Shah financial scam victims. The victims allege that Sambrial, Wazirabad and Gujrat-based former MNAs and MPAs (now mostly PML-Q candidates) were either directly or indirectly involved in the scam. The scam-hit have set condition for candidates to get them reimbursed their money at the earliest if they wanted their votes.

In NA-113 (Sialkot-IV), Daska, the PML-Q has again fielded Ali Asjad Malhi, who was made state minister after his success in 2002.

The PML-N has fielded a fresh face, Syed Murtaza Ameen Shah, while the PPP has launched Sialkot-based Dr Zaheerul Hassan Rizvi.

Syed Murtaza Ameen Shah is a close relative of PML-N’s former MNA Syed Iftikharul Hassan Shah from this constituency. Shah is supposed to have strong political and personal contacts in the area.

Ch Abdul Sattar Variyo is contesting for both NA-113 and NA-114. The PML-Q wanted him to contest for NA-114 but he was more interested in NA-113. He was given PML-Q ticket for NA-114 alone, but he did not withdraw his nomination papers from NA-113 and announced contesting from both the constituencies. However, for NA-113, Sattar Variyo is contesting as an independent candidate. He enjoys Variyo family’s political and personal influence besides the Gujjar Biradari’s support in the area. Malhi is a Jatt while the PML-N and PPP candidates belong to Syed families.

Malhi is facing strong public resentment for his playing a role in what people called “fall of Daska” as he and his associates were allegedly on the forefront in getting tehsil status for Sambarial for political gains.

Locals are of the view that Malhi and former MPA and tehsil nazim utilised all development funds meant for Daska tehsil to uplift the newly-established Sambarial tehsil during their stint. They also remained unable to bring any major development project to Daska tehsil as Sialkot Dry Port, Sialkot Export Processing Zone, Sialkot International Airport and many other such revenue-generating and cost-effective projects went under the territorial jurisdiction of Sambarial tehsil.

Similarly, Zahid Hamid, former law minister, after being denied PML-Q ticket for NA-114, Pasrur, joined the PML-N and clinched a ticket as well. He will be facing PML-Q’s Sattar Variyo and PPP’s Ghulam Abbas, who is a former provincial minister. In the 2002 elections, Hamid defeated Abbas with a sharp margin and this time Pasrur is going to witness a neck-to-neck fight among three heavyweights.

Induction of Hamid in the PML-N has though sidelined PML-N’s Mirza Abdul Qayyum, but, according to political analysts, Hamid’s fielding by the PML-N has added thrill to the contest and now anybody could win this seat.