LG elections: Distribution of nomination forms begins

So far, only the independent candidates have received forms

SUKKUR: The distribution of forms for local bodies' elections has begun in some cities of upper Sindh at a slow pace as political parties have yet to award tickets to the aspiring candidates.

The election commission has begun issuing nomination forms to the aspiring candidates for the local bodies' elections, scheduled for October 31. Forms are being issued to the candidates in Sukkur, Larkana, Shikarpur, Jacobabad and other cities, while in some cities of upper Sindh nomination forms are not yet available, sparking uncertainty among the candidates.

Political parties have not yet awarded tickets to their candidates, due to which the process of issuing forms is very slow, as only independent candidates are collecting the forms.

In Sukkur district, elections will be held for one district council, one municipal corporation, one municipal committee, four town committees and 37 union councils. During the tenure of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, Sukkur was divided into two talukas, Sukkur and New Sukkur, which have now once again been merged by forming the Sukkur municipal corporation. Rohri has been declared a municipal committee with 10 wards, while Pano Aqil and Salehpat, which earlier were declared municipal committees, have now been given the status of town committees, with 18 and four wards, respectively.

Besides this, Bagarji and Kandhra have also been given the status of town committees. Similarly 37 union councils have been formed to given representation to the 60 per cent rural population and the chairperson of the union council will become a member of the district council.

Interestingly three influential politicians belonging to the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are in the race to become mayor and chairperson of the municipal corporation and district council Sukkur. Leader of the opposition in National Assembly, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, is working hard to secure the spot of mayor of the Sukkur Municipal Corporation for his son, Farukh Shah, and the post of chairperson of the district council for former MPA Dr Nasrullah Baloch.

Senator Islamuddin Shaikh is fighting to clinch the seat of mayor for his younger son, Arsalan Shah, besides supporting the former Rohri taluka nazim, Aslam Shaikh, for the post of chairperson of the district council. Apart from this, Sukkur's former district nazim and present minister of local bodies, Nasir Hussain Shah, wants to launch his son, Kumail Haider Shah, through the local bodies' elections.

According to the Election Commission's Sukkur office, the total number of voters in district Sukkur is 527,495, out of which 293,138 are male and 234,357 are female. The PPP won five seats in Sukkur during the 2013 elections, out of which two seats are of National Assembly and three belong to the provincial assembly. Out of Sukkur's four seats in the provincial assembly, one seat was won by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2015.