Mahars, Dharejos ready to reconcile

PPP Ghotki president continues to support Lund despite party displeasure.

SUKKUR:

After just one visit by former MNA Faryal Talpur, the Mahars and Dharejos of Ghotki district have decided to bury the hatch and support each other in the upcoming general elections.

The Pakistan Peoples Party began sensing a growing rift among its supporters in Ghotki when the party’s Ghotki chapter president, Sardar Ahmed Ali Pitafi, joined hands with Khalid Ahmed Lund - who is contesting in NA-200 as an independent candidate against Sardar Ali Gohar Mahar and Pir of Bharchoondi Sharif Abdul Haq alias Mian Mitho.

Before the rifts widened the divide, Talpur paid a visit to Jam House in Ghotki along with former Sindh chief minister Qaim Ali Shah and former federal minister Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah. There they met the Dharejo brothers - Jam Saifullah, Jam Ikramullah, Jam Asadullah and Jam Ghulam Qadir - and reportedly asked them to forget their differences with the Mahars since they are also part of the party now.

Later, a party meeting was held at the residence of Jam Mehtab Dahar but Pitafi failed to attend, after which it was reported that the party decided to remove his from the post.

Meanwhile, Jam Saifullah Dharejo told the media that their family has always remained loyal to the PPP, even when the Mahars, Lunds, Shars and Bozdars switched allegiances. According to an official, Ali Nawaz alias Raja Mahar paid a visit to Jam House on Thursday and had breakfast with the Dharejo brothers. The two families resolved to support each other and all those candidates who are contesting the elections under the ‘arrow’ symbol.

On Thursday, the district returning officer in Ghotki called all the candidates for NA-200, PS-7 and PS-5 to discuss the election code of conduct. Lund talked to the media after the meeting and accused his rival Mahar candidate of using official machinery for his election campaign. Sardar Khan Ghoto, who is the minister of labour and transport in Sindh’s caretaker government, is very close to Sardar Ali Gohar Mahar and is supporting him, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2013.