Dynastic politics: Going back on their word

Family members of PPP parliamentarians to contest LG elections on party tickets

KARACHI: Contrary to the recently-announced party policy of not allotting tickets to the kith and kin of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) parliamentarians, a large number of family members of the party's lawmakers have submitted their forms to contest the local government elections being held on October 31 in Sukkur and Larkana divisions. 

Forms of a few candidates have already been approved because no one has submitted nomination forms against them. Candidates who are going to contest the elections include sons, daughters, brothers, cousins, nephews and relatives of PPP ministers, MNAs, MPAs and senators. It is believed that because the local government receives a large chunk of the development budget, the politicians want their near and dear ones to be in positions of power.

"These people have submitted their forms after assurance was given to them by the party to allot tickets," a PPP leader said.

Sources in the party said that Syed Farukh Shah, son of the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Khursheed Shah, is contesting for the Sukkur district council. Meanwhile, Arsalan Shaikh, son of PPP Senator Islamuddin Shaikh and brother of MNA Nauman Shaikh, is a strong candidate for the position of the mayor of Sukkur. Similarly, two nephews of Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Amjad Shah and Javeed Shah, have submitted their forms for district and taluka council chairpersons in Khairpur. Another member of the family, Fahad Jilani, is also an aspirant for a position on the Khairpur district council.

According to election commission records, Nida Khuhro, daughter of Nisar Khuhro, is one of PPP candidates who will contest the election from her family constituency, UC Aqil, near Larkana city.  Meanwhile, Manzoor Wasan has started lobbying in the party to get the Kot Diji taulka chairpersonship for his son-in-law.  Apart from this, Wasan's two cousins, Sajjan Wasan and Riaz Hussain Wasan, have also submitted their forms.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Wasan justified the nomination of parliamentarians' family members and said, "They ultimately have to replace us, therefore it is high time to get them elected in the local government elections before they step in to the provincial assembly and parliament in the future."

On the other hand, speaker of the Sindh Assembly, Agha Siraj Durrani, has started lobbying to get chairpersonship of the district council of Shikarpur for his brother, Agha Masehuddin Durrani.  However, the PPP wants to give the post to the district's Soomro brothers, who have recently joined the party.

The situation in Ghotki district is no different from the other districts, where the Mahar family has fielded their own family members for all the lucrative posts. "Haji Khan Mahar, son of PPP MNA Sardar Ali Gohar Mahar, will contest the election for the district council chairperson and Ahmed Ali Mahar, son of PPP MNA Ali Muhammad Mahar, who also served as the Sindh chief minister, will contest the election for the chairpersonship of the taulka Khangrah," said a senior PPP leader. He added that the party has decided to give tickets to these candidates, but a formal announcement will be made after Eidul Azha.

The reports pouring in further suggested that Mehboob Ali Bijarani, brother of provincial minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, is contesting the election for the district council chairperson of Kandhkot district and the younger brother of PPP MPA Sardar Ahmed Chandio is an aspiring candidate for the district chairpersonship of Kamber Shahdadkot district.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2015.