Family ties and suspicion obstruct PPP’s unity in Ghotki
The Mahar and Lund brothers are at loggerheads over tickets.
PHOTO: FILE
SUKKUR:
With the elections less than a month away, the stage is all set for a showdown between stalwarts of not only different political parties but the same ones as well.
One case where members of the same party have started flexing their political muscles to outmaneuver the other is in Ghotki. Here, the Mahar and Lund brothers - two of the area’s political heavyweights and rivals - have been trying to edge each other out, even though both have pledged allegiance to Pakistan Peoples Party. The problem stems from the fact that though the party has tried to allot tickets in a manner to appease the Mahars and Lunds who joined it, not all members of both groups are in PPP and they are now vying for votes at the same constituencies.
After joining PPP, the Mahar brothers were awarded party tickets at four constituencies: NA-201 in Ghotki, PS-6 in Ghotki, PS-8 in Khangarh and PS-2 in Sukkur. Trouble arose when Fayyaz Lund and his brother Babar Lund, who joined Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F) after quitting PPP, decided to contest for two of the same seats, NA-201 and PS-8. This move has caused a fall out between the members of the Mahar and Lund groups who are in the PPP. Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, an important member of the Mahar group, claimed that though Khalid Ahmed Lund has joined PPP and is contesting the election at NA-200 as a candidate from the party, he is supporting his cousins at NA-201 and PS-8 against the Mahars.
Sardar Ali Gohar Mahar has now requested PPP leadership to ask the Lund brothers to ask their relatives to withdraw from PS-8. He said if his demands are not met, he will contest the elections as an independent candidate against PPP’s Khalid Lund at NA-200, apart from contesting at NA-201. The Mahars in PPP even went as far as to demand the party’s leaders to revoke tickets given to Khalid Lund because of his alleged support for his cousins in PML-F. Sardar Ali Gohar has also asked PPP’s leaders to let the Mahars and Lunds contest elections independently - whoever wins the seat gets to be a PPP MNA.
But there are other points of contention as well. Sources privy to the matter told The Express Tribune that former nazim of union council Jarwar, Abdul Hameed Gabol - who was an influential member of the Mahar group - jumped ship to the Lund group. The Mahar brothers are now fuming that Lund group ‘poached’ Gabol away from them. While talking to The Express Tribune, Ali Nawaz aka Raja Mahar said, “We have joined PPP wholeheartedly and will remain in the party. We are not afraid of facing the Lund group in the elections, but it’s a matter of principle. When Sardar Ali Gohar Mahar is not contesting at NA-200 against Khalid Lund, then why is his cousin contesting elections against Sardar Ali Gohar Mahar and Sardar Mohammad Bux Mahar?” Members of the Lund group could not be reached for comment.
Sources privy to the matter told The Express Tribune that President Asif Ali Zardari has asked his sister Faryal Talpur to sort out the matter and get both groups to bury the hatchet. She will ne in Ghotki to sort out the issue.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 16th, 2013.
With the elections less than a month away, the stage is all set for a showdown between stalwarts of not only different political parties but the same ones as well.
One case where members of the same party have started flexing their political muscles to outmaneuver the other is in Ghotki. Here, the Mahar and Lund brothers - two of the area’s political heavyweights and rivals - have been trying to edge each other out, even though both have pledged allegiance to Pakistan Peoples Party. The problem stems from the fact that though the party has tried to allot tickets in a manner to appease the Mahars and Lunds who joined it, not all members of both groups are in PPP and they are now vying for votes at the same constituencies.
After joining PPP, the Mahar brothers were awarded party tickets at four constituencies: NA-201 in Ghotki, PS-6 in Ghotki, PS-8 in Khangarh and PS-2 in Sukkur. Trouble arose when Fayyaz Lund and his brother Babar Lund, who joined Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F) after quitting PPP, decided to contest for two of the same seats, NA-201 and PS-8. This move has caused a fall out between the members of the Mahar and Lund groups who are in the PPP. Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, an important member of the Mahar group, claimed that though Khalid Ahmed Lund has joined PPP and is contesting the election at NA-200 as a candidate from the party, he is supporting his cousins at NA-201 and PS-8 against the Mahars.
Sardar Ali Gohar Mahar has now requested PPP leadership to ask the Lund brothers to ask their relatives to withdraw from PS-8. He said if his demands are not met, he will contest the elections as an independent candidate against PPP’s Khalid Lund at NA-200, apart from contesting at NA-201. The Mahars in PPP even went as far as to demand the party’s leaders to revoke tickets given to Khalid Lund because of his alleged support for his cousins in PML-F. Sardar Ali Gohar has also asked PPP’s leaders to let the Mahars and Lunds contest elections independently - whoever wins the seat gets to be a PPP MNA.
But there are other points of contention as well. Sources privy to the matter told The Express Tribune that former nazim of union council Jarwar, Abdul Hameed Gabol - who was an influential member of the Mahar group - jumped ship to the Lund group. The Mahar brothers are now fuming that Lund group ‘poached’ Gabol away from them. While talking to The Express Tribune, Ali Nawaz aka Raja Mahar said, “We have joined PPP wholeheartedly and will remain in the party. We are not afraid of facing the Lund group in the elections, but it’s a matter of principle. When Sardar Ali Gohar Mahar is not contesting at NA-200 against Khalid Lund, then why is his cousin contesting elections against Sardar Ali Gohar Mahar and Sardar Mohammad Bux Mahar?” Members of the Lund group could not be reached for comment.
Sources privy to the matter told The Express Tribune that President Asif Ali Zardari has asked his sister Faryal Talpur to sort out the matter and get both groups to bury the hatchet. She will ne in Ghotki to sort out the issue.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 16th, 2013.