MUZAFFARGARH: Election mania is gaining momentum in the five national and eleven provincial seats of Muzaffargarh, raising to peak the political maneouvrings and adjustments seats.

The district is dominating by Khars, Qureshis, Hinjras, Nawabzadas, Gormanis, Khaitrans, Samtias, Aulaks, Chandias, Gopangs, Syeds, Naulatias, Jhakhars and Jatois besides the settlers including Mughals, Ranas, Raos, Jats, Punjabi Arains, Urdu speaking Arains, Awans and some Baloch tribes.

Once a stronghold of PML-N, the area is witnessing fast changing loyalties by its leaders by joining PML-QA, a phenomenon practised by many established PPP activists and leaders also. However, these candidates will now only be able to allure their biradari (community/cast or tribe) vote, while the committed voters of PML-N, which are very marginal, and PPP may go against them.

The political scene is depending on the movement of former federal minister Mustafa Khar who has started canvassing for his nephews contesting elections from different national and provincial constituencies here. NA-176 to NA-180 are the National Assembly seats and PP-251 to PP-261 are provincial seats.

NA-176: This seat comprises Chowk Munda, Pir Adil, Daira Deen Panah, Kot Addu, Pull Magsi, Sanawan, Ahsanpur, Ranghpur, Head Taunsa Barrage and Beat Qaim Walla. The fight for this seat is among Mustafa Khar's nephew Tahir Miladi Khar as an independent candidate, Dr Ghulam Qadir of MMA, Khalida Mohsin Ali Qureshi of PPP and Malik Ghulam Qasim Hinjra of PML-QA.

PP-251: Maulana Abdul Jalil (MMA), Ahmad Yar Hinjra (PML-QA) and Khalida Mohsin Ali (PPP-P) are the candidates. PP-253 Ahsanul Haq Nolatia (PPP-P), Maulana Abdul Majeed Farooqi (MMA) and Malik Ghulam Murtaza Khar (PML-QA) are contesting for this seat. Tahir Miladi Khar enjoys good position since Mustafa Khar announced his support two days back. Rahim Khar is still banking on Mustafa Khar and in case he gets his support his position will also improve. Tahir Miladi Khar always contested elections as independent candidate.

Maulana Jalil, incharge of a local madrassa having 60 branches in Muzaffargarh, enjoys a good reputation especially in Kot Addu and suburbs and presently he is considered to be the strongest candidate in PP-251. He belongs to JUI-F and there is no chance of any political alliance between the MMA and Mustafa Khar on Maulana Jalil's seat. However, there are chances of an alliance of MMA's National Assembly candidate Dr Ghulam Qadir with Khar or any other party. Anti-PML-QA and anti-Musharraf vote will be cast in favor of Jalil.

District council of Kot Addu is fully supporting PML-QA candidates and some days back at a meeting it evolved a strategy to help its candidates, alleged MMA and PPP workers. Tough competition is expected between Ahsanul Haq Nolatia and Maulana Abdul Majeed in PP-253 comprising the areas of Pir Jatti, Riazabad, and Chowk Munda. Maulana Majeed is from Kulachi family and is affiliated with JUI (Samiul Haq group). He enjoys full support of Kulachis, Chandias and Jats of the Chowk Munda area. However, some days back a meeting of Arains at Chowk Munda announced their support to Ahsan. The position of Murtaza Rahim Khar, son of Dost Mohammad Khar, is not good because people are against turncoats.

Tahir Miladi voluntarily withdrew papers of his nephew Faisal Miladi from the seats where Maulana Jalil and Maulana Abdul Majeed are contesting. MMA is in touch with Tahir Miladi and will support him on the National Assembly seat. "Main purpose of MMA and Tahir Miladi's alliance is to defeat Hinjras," said an activist of MMA while talking to The News in Kot Addu city. Ghulam Qasim Hinjra and his younger brother Ahmad Yar Hinjra are PML-QA candidates for NA-176 and PP-251 respectively. Muzaffargarh District Nazim Sultan Hinjra is a close relative of these candidates and allegedly supporting them.

Some people commented that the votebank of PML-N is intact in the area, but it may go to Qasim Hinjra despite the fact that PML-N made an adjustment with MMA's candidates. Voters of this area follow personalities ignoring party affiliations. The urban people are against Hinjras. The third group contesting the elections from these seats is of Mohsin Ali Qureshi whose own nomination papers were however rejected after his Bachelor's Degree was found fake. His wife Khalida Mohsin is now a candidate for NA-176 and PP-251 on PPP's ticket. Mohsin Qureshi enjoys a good reputation for his long affiliated with PPP.

People of the area fear rigging as a villager commented that rigging took place in all elections, otherwise Qasim Hinjra and Maulana Jalil would win seats. An MMA worker said the alliance made a local adjustment with NA-182 candidate Saqlain Shah in Layyah of PML-N.

NA-177: Khalid Ahmed Gurmani (independent), Muhammad Basit Khar (PML-N), Muhammad Shahnawaz Khar (independent), Rana Muhammad Naseem Akhtar (PPP), Hina Rabbani Khar (PML-QA) and Arshad Mehmood Leghari (MMA) are contesting the elections from here.

PP-252: Hammad Hassan Miladi (independent), Tahir Miladi Khar (independent), Waseem Pasha (PPP), Tariq Ahmed Gurmani (independent), Dr Sajid Mehmood Ashraf (PML-N), Taj Muhammad Saqib (MMA) and Mustafa Khar Junior (PML-QA) are the candidates for this seat. While from PP-255, Nawasih Ali Khan (independent), Jawad Kamran Khar (PML-QA), Malik Ijaz Hussain Budh (MMA), Dr Sohail Alam Gujjar (PPP) and Munir Ahmed Chandia (PML-N) are in the run. This constituency covered the areas of Sanawan, Mehmood Kot, Basira, Chowk Qureshi, Budh, Ghazi Ghat, Gujrat, Karam Dad Qureshi and Khar Gharbi.

The political scene here is complicated as Hina Rabbani Khar, Muhammad Basit Khar and Muhammad Shahnawaz Arabi Khar are contesting on the national assembly seat, while Tahir Miladi is on provincial seat and makes his panel with Shahnawaz Arabi Khar and is against Hina Rabbani, daughter of Rabbani Khar, brother of Mustafa Khar.

The position of Tahir Miladi and Shahnawaz is stronger than Hina Rabbani's as they have the backing of Mustafa Khar. Hina Rabbani and Shahnawaz are now in a close fight with Khalid Gurmani, who is an independent candidate from NA-177. However, the position of Shahnawaz is better than the other two.

PML-QA candidates Khalid Gurmani and his brother Tariq Gurmani have the support of the District Nazim Sultan Hinjra but Rabbani Khar managed PML-QA tickets for his daughter and Mustafa Khar Junior. If Mustafa Khar does not support any candidate Khar votes may split and go to Khalid Gurmani. However, posters of Miladi and Shahnawaz describe them as the candidates of Mustafa Khar. Gurmani defeated Hinjra in LB polls by 13 votes and now has the support of Hinjra. Usman Pasha is a weak PPP-P candidate and got ticket only because his father Tajamul Hussain spent some days in jail with Zulfiqar Bhutto.

In PP-255, Jawad Kamran, nephew of former MPA Haji Farooq, was in a close fight with independent candidate Nawasih Khan. The position of Malik Ijaz Hussain Budh (MMA), Dr Sohail Alam Gujjar (PPP) and Munir Ahmed Chandia (PML-N) is not very good. A close contest is expected between Nawasih and Jawad, while MMA's candidate stands second. PML-N candidates in both provincial seats are weak because they were unknown for the locals who follow Mustafa Khar.

NA-178: Nawabzada Sultan Ahmed Khan (PJP), Engr Mohammad Shahid Jamil (PML-QA), Hina Javed Gondal (Star), Sheikh Habibur Rehman (PAT), Mirza Imtiaz Aleem (TI), Malik Abdul Majeed Karwani (Kite), Mehr Tanveer Jangla (MMA), Mian Zahoor Bhatti (independent) and Gul Zaman (independent) are the main players here.

In PP-254, Sardar Amjed Dasti (PML-QA), Sardar Ghulam Qadir Chandia (PPP), Mehr Irshad Ahmed (independent), Omar Daraz Farooqi (MMA), Hussain Muna Sheikh (independent), Iram Waheed Khan (PJP), Nasar Abbas (PML-N), Syed Niaz Rasool (PAT) and Abdullah Dogar (independent) are fighting for the seat. While for PP-256, Zahoor Samad Bhatti (MMA), Imtiaz Aleem Hashmi (PML-QA), Imran Qureshi (independent), Makhdoom Sajad Aleem (TI), Sania Mansoor (PJP) and Khalid Aleem Bhatti (independent) are facing each other.

The National Assembly constituency comprises Muzaffargarh city, Doaba, Shah Jamal, Rullan Wali, Thermal Power, Khan Garh, Langar Saray, Pir Mosa and some areas along the river belt till Shujaabad.

This area is the hometown of Nawabzada Nasrullah and is important in the sense that it will decide the fate of his family's future. Nawabzada Sultan Ahmed, a close relative of Nawabzada Nasrullah is contesting election from the ticket of Pakistan Jamhoori Party (PJP) and in this constituency PPP and PML-N did not filed their candidates and are supporting Nawabzadas.

Zahoor Bhatti is known as the right hand of PML-QA Muzaffargarh President Atta Qureshi, while Gul Zaman is his son-in-law. Shahid Jamil's brothers an FIA Deputy Director and a doctor are using government resources for Shahid, Nawabzada Mansoor, son of Nawabzada Nasrullah, alleged adding his party faxed a letter to the CEC, but in vain. A close fight is expected between Nawabzada Sultan and Eng Shahid.

In PP-254, PML-QA candidate Sardar Amjed Dasti and Iram Waheed Khan are rivals, the latter belonging to Nawabzada group. PPP candidate Ghulam Qadir Chandia facing Irshad Ahmed. Omar Daraz Farooqi of MMA and independent Muna Sheikh are week candidates. Amjed Dasti may get votes of Chandias and Dastis while an electoral alliance is also expected between Qadir Chandia and Amjed Dasti PML-QA leadership issued ticket for PP-256 to Imtiaz Aleem Hashmi while Atta Qureshi is supporting Zahoor Samad instead of his party's candidate Imtiaz. Imran Qureshi will sit in favour of Imtiaz.

In PP-256, PML-QA's Zahoor Bhatti is facing Sania Mansoor, granddaughter of ARD chief Nasrullah. Imtiaz may damage Zahoor Bhatti. If Atta supports Zahoor Samad Bhatti instead of Imtiaz, Sania will easily win.

NA-179: Nawabzada Abrar Ahmed (PJP), Makhdomzada Basit Bokhari (PML-QA), Makhdoom Jamil Ahmed (PML-N) and Abdul Quyyum Jatoi (PPP) are the contestants for this seat.

From PP-257, Ahmed Karim Qaswar (PML-QA), Gul Zaman (independent), Nawabzada Muhammad Ahmed (PJP) and Tanveer Jangla (MMA) are in the run for this seat. While Rana Rehmatullah (MMA), Najaf Abbas (independent), Haroon Sultan Bokhari (PML-QA), Abdul Rehman Gorahi (PAT), Syed Ali Haider (PPP) and Malik Latif Ahmed (MP) are in the ring of PP-258. The National Assembly seat covered the areas of Rullan Wali, Shah Jamal, Khan Garh, Kalar Wali with Nawabzadas, Dasti, Langrial, Chandia, Jatoi, Makhdoom, Syed, Qureshi, Doggar, Rajput, Kashkori, Mashkori, Korahi and Mastoi in majority. Though Nawabzada Abrar is the son of Nawabzada Nasrullah, PPP and PML-N are not supporting him which has made his win of Nawabzada difficult. The other strong candidates are Makhdomzada Basit and Quyyum Jatoi of PPP. A local adjustment is under way between the PPP and PML-N underway according to which Quyyum Jatoi will support PML-N's Jamil Ahmed in return for support for him in NA-180. Sultan Hinjra is supporting PML-QA, while Tehsil Nazim Nasrullah Jatoi is supporting PML-N and Quyyum. In PP-257, a close fight between PJP and PML-QA is likely. PML-N and PPP are supporting Nawabzada in this seat against PML-QA. Atta Qureshi's son-in-law Gul Zaman is also contesting election against Nawabzada Muhammad Khan and Karim Qaswar, a situation that will benefit Nawabzada.

In PP-258, PML-N did not put his candidate and is supporting MMA's Rana Rehmatullah. Candidates of PPP and PML-QA are also strong. People foresee the win of PML-N in this area because of the Nawaz vote bank which is still intact here.

NA-180: A neck-to-neck contest between Qayum Jatoi of PPP and Ashiq Gopang of PML-QA, while Shafi Khan of MMA is struggling hard to come into the fight.

In PP-260, Yasir Arafat Khan (independent), Afzal Mustafa (PML-QA), Mian Khizar Hayyat (independent) and Syed Riaz Hussain (MMA), while in PP-261, Aamir Talal Gopang (PML-QA), Syed Qaim Ali Shah (independent) and Rao Waheed (MMA) are contesting in this constituency that comprises Alipur, Seedpur, Permet, Kairpur Saadat, Mirwala and Jatoi areas with Syeds, Gopang, Jatoi, Makhdoom, Rana and Baloch in majority. PML-N candidate Jamil Bokhari is supporting Qayum Jatoi who is supporting PML-N candidates in NA-179. Bokharis and Ranas are also with Quyum. Tehsil Nazim Nasrullah Jatoi is also with Qayum Jatoi so the chances of his win are very bright.

The position of Yasir Arafat in PP-260 is strong with full support of PPP and even some PML-N Nazims. The candidate of PML-QA Afzal Mustafa and Syed Hussain Kazmi of MMA are sailing rough in the constituency.

PP-261 will see close fight of Aamir Talal Gopang, son of Ashiq Gopang, with Qaim Ali Shah who enjoys support of Bokhari family of PML-N and Quyyum Jatoi. The chances of win for MMA candidate are meek.