Ahmed Ali, who runs a tea stall at Ada Band Bosan, says that he and his fellow villagers will vote wherever Liaquat Bosan and Ali Sher Bosan direct them. I visited this area while exploring voter sentiments in Constituency NA-148 in Multan. Liaquat Bosan and Ali Sher Bosan, who previously broke away from former Federal Minister Sikandar Hayat Bosan to form the Bosan Alliance, had supported Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in the last general elections. Their influence led to a significant number of votes for the PPP candidate. This time around, they are campaigning for PPP’s nominated candidate, Syed Ali Qasim Gilani, in their local council. Despite the efforts of former Federal Minister Sikandar Hayat Bosan campaigning for PTI-backed candidate Barrister Taimoor Altaf Mehey, the Bosan community primarily seems to support the PPP nominee.
In the larger area of Qadirpur Ran, part of the same constituency, PPP’s Malik Asif Mazhar Ran, the elected member of the provincial assembly from Multan, is also running a door-to-door campaign for Syed Ali Gilani. Despite facing opposition from former MP Malik Arshad Ran who supports the PTI candidate, the majority seems to lean towards Malik Asif Mazhar Ran. Although the urban areas of the constituency show a stronger inclination towards PTI, where most traders and professionals support PTI’s candidate, the rural union councils, including areas like Muzaffarabad Union Council and Sher Shah, show considerable support for the Gilani group. This division marks a significant battleground for the forthcoming elections, reflecting a split between rural loyalty to the PPP and urban support for PTI.
