Shikarpur constituencies: political heavyweights may maintain dominance

The likelihood of a 'change' seems fast evaporating with the fast approaching elections, which are scheduled to be held on May 11. Ground realities are unlikely to change and it seems highly likely that veteran political heavyweights would dominate the upcoming elections. Men of average means dare not challenge the hold of powerful landed aristocracy in the rural Sindh.
It is indeed unfortunate that political parties, instead of bringing in educated forward looking men of vision, to face and resolve the challenges of time, are concentrating on the same old families who have dominated the political scene for ages, from father to son, or their near relatives have kept their influence intact in their fiefdoms.
Although nationalists and a few political parties have been targeting this particular class and endeavouring hard to educate people to come out of traditional subjugation, nothing seems to have worked to indicate that they will be able to make a dent in the age old Jagirdari, Zamindari and Biradri system.
Let us take the case of Shikarpur which, according to all calculations, will be the hottest battleground for political giants to vie for supremacy. PML-F-NPP local coalition and versus PPPP would face each other in the district which has two National Assembly and six provincial assembly seats, testing their political clout. This is basically a tribal constituency, which is known for feuds and bloody political rivalries.
Opposition candidates who belong to influential tribes like Mehars, Jatois, Kumarios and Shaikhs under the political umbrella of PML-F and NPP are considered to be strong to give a tough time to PPPP nominees. Their strength could be judged from the fact that in the elections of 2008 held after the death of Benazir Bhutto when the pro-PPPP sentiments were at their highest pitch Ghous Bux Mehar on NA 203, his son Shehryar Mehar on PS-10 and NPP's Abid Khan Jatoi on PS-12 had defeated PPPP's heavyweights such as Sardar Wahid Bux Bhayo, Babal Khan Bhayo and Aftab Shuaban Mirani.
At that time, Ghous Bux Mehar and his son Shehryar Mehar had been elected MNA and MPA on the tickets of PML-Q, but now they are contesting elections on the tickets of Functional league. Though, PML-F and NPP are major -parties of the 10-party alliance but Pir Syed Sibghatulah Shah Rashdi, the chief of Functional League, had asked all parties that Shikarpur and few other districts would not come under the umbrella of big alliance and all parties would check their positions with contesting their candidates in these particular districts.
Local political observers are seeing this alliance of Mehars, Jatois, Kumarios and Shaikhs in the perspective of 'Shikarpur Rajooni Ittehad' an electoral alliance established during the elections of 1997 and all candidates of the said alliance had swept all seats of Shikarpur district.
Shikarpur, a tribal-district of the province has a total of six seats - two of National Assembly, NA-202 and NA- 203, and four seats of Sindh Assembly, PS-9, 10, 11 and 12. According to the results of the elections in 2008, NPP's Dr Ibrahim Jatoi was declared wining candidate on NA-202 against PPPP's Aftab Shuaban Mirani but after the recounting Mirani was declared as MNA, PML-Q's Ghous Bux Khan Mehar had defeated PPPP's Sardar Wahid Bux Bhayo on NA-203, PPPP's Agha Siraj Durani became MPA from PS-9, PML-Q's Shehryar Ali Khan Mehar won the seat of PS-10, PPPP's Agha Taimoor Khan got the victory on PS-11 and NPP's Abid Khan Jatoi defeated PPPP's Babal Khan Bhayo.
Currently on the constituency of NA-202: PPPP's Aftab Shuaban Mirani and NPP's Dr Ibrahim Jatoi are hot rivals of each other. Though, there are few other candidates of PML-N, JUI-F and MQM but the real competition would be seen between old rivals Mirani and Jatoi, said local political observers. NA-203: situation is same on this constituency as well as old rivals PML-F's Ghous Bux Khan Mehar and PPPP's Sardar Wahid Bux Khan Bhayo are facing each other. The local political observers are claiming that Mehar can defeat Bhayo easily.
PS-9 (Shikarpur cum Larkana/ Old Shikarpur-I): A th competition can be witnessed on this seat of Sindh Assembly in district as PPPP's heavyweight Agha Siraj Durani and King of Kumario tribe, Zulifqar Khan Kumario are the major candidates. Kumario is contesting election on the seat of PML-F, if any would win, the victory would be with few thousands of votes, local political observers said.
PS-10 ( Shikarpur cum Sukkur/ old Shikarpur-II): PML-F's Shehryar Khan Mehar is facing another Mehar of PPPP. Kamran Mehar is new face in PPPP is also a young man with a passion to make clear Shikarpur from the clutches of feudal lords. Though, Kamran has a good personal say in constituency but Shehryar has full support of his father Ghous Bux Khan Mehar so according to local political observers, Shehryar can get the lead over Kamran.
PS-11 (Shikarpur-I/Old Shikarpur-III): Very interesting competition is expected on this seat of provincial assembly where PML-F's very important candidate Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh and PPPP's Agha Taimoor Khan are major rivals. The winner would get difference of a few thousands votes, local political observers said. PS-12 (Shikarpur-II/ Old Shikarpur -IV): Same old rivals NPP's Abid Khan Jatoi and PPPP's Mir Babal Khan Bhayo are facing each other. Local political observers claimed that Mr Jatoi can get the lead on PPPP's candidate.