FAISALABAD-Baloch families since 1970 have been enjoying power politics in Tandlianwala, an agriculture-based tehsil of Faisalabad in NA-103 that was NA-78 before the census.

They have set their turns as one Baloch family contests the election and the other supports it under secret agreement to share the power without any internal rift. They have been winning the elections from the constituency since 1970s. Even during the general elections of 1970 when PPP under the leadership of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto made a clean sweep, one of the provincial assembly slots was bagged by Nasir Ali Khan Baloch in the same constituency’s Punjab Assembly seat PP-58.

Major clans in NA-103 are Kharal, Watoo, Baloch, Rajpoot, Jutt, Syed and Arian. Watoo politicians are also being in the run to enjoy power politics among Baloch families. It is also shocking about the constituency that out of three big Baloch families, two of the families are continuously changing their political loyalties, from one party to another.

Currently all of them have managed to get PML-N, PPP and PTI tickets. Shahid Khalil Noor, Shamsheer Ali Wattoo and Malik Khalid Wattoo are also famous electables of the provincial assembly constituencies of NA-103.

Municipal Committee Mamun Kanjan and Mamun Kanjan Qanungo halqa were excluded from Tandlianwala tehsil while parts of Jaranwala tehsil Rodala, 27 GB, 34 GB, 37 and 38 GB along with patwar circle of 170 GB of Samundari tehsil are now included in the NA constituency.

Famous freedom fighter of British Rule in subcontinent Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal’s native village Jhamra also exists in the constituency. In Faisalabad district, NA-103 has seven police stations in its precincts including police stations Ghar, Tandlianwala city, Tandlianwala Sadar, Satiana, Rodala and Kur. Tandlianwala and its surroundings have bad repute for massive ratio of cattle lifting. Tandlianwala was established as market during the colonization of west Punjab. In 1887, it was given the status of sub-tehsil and the town committee came into being in 1965.

In 1966-1990, the town expanded rapidly because of the construction of a bridge over the River Ravi. Before the independence of Pakistan, the city was a food supply point for villages and nearby areas. Tandlianwala is also well known because of the high quality of sugarcane. It has two sugar mills and many cotton factories, rice factories and flour mills.

The city is traditionally known for pure Desi Ghee, though it is rare now. The old name of the city was Tandla Mandi (Tandla Market). It is located 35 km from the city of Faisalabad and 44 km from Okara. During the elections 1993 when Manzoor Wattoo was defeated from three constituencies of Okara, he won election from Tandlianwala. After coalition with PPP he was second time elected as a chief minister of Punjab. However, after the new census NA-103 was comprised of three provincial assembly seats PP-101, PP-102 and PP-103. A big part of PP-101 and PP-102 belongs to the constituency while rest of the area is under NA-104 Faisalabad-4 a constituency of Samundari tehsil. PP-103 is purely a Punjab Assembly seat of NA-103. PML-N, PTI, PPP, MMA, TLP, Milli Muslim Leaque and Suni Ittehad Council have nominated their candidates.

PML-N has nominated Ali Khan Gohar Baloch asits candidate for NA-103, Rai Haider Ali Khan for PP-101, ex-MPA Jaffar Ali Hocha for PP-103 and Rai Usman for PP-102. On May 11, 2013, PML-N candidate Rajab Ali Baloch after bagging 87959 votes defeated Muhammad Safdar Shakir an independent candidate who acquired 45804 votes. PPP-P candidate Shahadat Ali Khan Baloch acquired 23236 votes in then elections. Rajab Ali Baloch some weeks earlier died of cancer disease, so PML-N gave its ticket to his brother Ali Khan Gohar Baloch. Ali Khan Gohar Baloch also served as tehsil nazim Tandlianwala from PML-Q during Musarraf regime. Rajab Ali Baloch was brought into politics by his uncle Nasir Khan Baloch when Musharraf imposed graduation degree condition to contest elections.

 

 Rajab contested general elections of 2002 on PML-Q ticket and with 57071 votes got elected. At that time Ali Khan Gohar Baloch today’s candidate of PML-N was tehsil from PML-Q. Late Rajab Ali Khan Baloch Uncle Nasir Khan Baloch first time in 1970 general elections defeated PPP. In 1985 non-parties general election he was elected again from old NA-78 and made state minister of Muhammad Khan Junaejo’s cabinet.

In 1997, he got elected on the ticket of Islami Jamhuri Ittehad (IJI). In 1997 general elections Nasir Khan Baloch won the elections on the ticket of PM-N. For the upcoming general elections, Nasir Khan Baloch is PTI’s candidate for NA-103 same constituency. PTI has field Ghulam Haider Bari, son of famous politician Ghulam Dastgeer Bari, for PP-101, Adil Pervaiz Gujjar for PP-102 and Shamsheer Haider Watoo for PP-103.

PPP has also fielded its candidate for NA-103 from Baloch family. Shahadat Ali Khan Baloch was awarded by the PPP ticket as candidate for NA-103. Shahadat was elected in 1977 elections. In 1988 he joined PPP and bagged the seat old NA-78. During 1993 once again he picked up on PPP ticket. In 2002 because he was not a graduate his daughter Raheela Shahadat Baloch contested the elections and was defeated by his cousin late Rajab Ali Baloch, a candidate of PML-Q.

On 18 February 2008, she bagged 79127 votes and got elected. Shahadat ALI Khan Baloch family is running loyal with PPP from 1988. All the figures of past elections clearly disclose that Baloch families are enjoying power politics one by one on their turn

Nevertheless, the PPP for upcoming elections has given its ticket to Shahadat Ali Khan Baloch. PP-101 ticket of PPP was awarded to an active politician Sikandar Jatoi whereas PPP is yet failed to field candidates for PP-102 and 103. Analysis of NA-103 is quite difficult but some senior political circles predict that Saad Ullah Khan Baloch can be runner-up this time as per political trend of Baloch families. Some others say that Shahadat Ali Khan Baloch can also give a hard time to other Balochs as he is a seasoned and senior politician but PPP poor political graph may damage him on the elections day.