February 20, 2008	Wednesday	Safar 12, 1429

FAISALABAD, Feb 19: Having heaved a sigh of relief over the Pakistan People’s Party rejuvenation in rural areas of the national assembly, many people have wasted no time in asking whether the new faces in the power corridors will save the district from the clutches of extortionists, traffickers, land grabbers and ransom seekers.

The criminals allegedly reside in rural areas which fall in the jurisdiction of the former ruling party PML-Q’s stalwarts. Police officials, people believe, have so far been unable to arrest the criminal activities owing to “patronisation by the PML-Q power muscles”.

Most of the rural area constituencies comprise Jaranwala, Tandlianwala, Chak Jhumra and Thekriwala. The textile capital of Pakistan has become a haven for criminals because of its industrialists fetching foreign exchange to the tune of billions of rupees.

Scores of businessmen have been paying extortion money to criminals who are operating here with impunity. Some extortionists of Chak Jhumra have established their hideouts in the country’s biggest yarn market to achieve their nefarious designs. Few of them are operating in Thekriwala.

Sources told Dawn that an SP, Awais Malik had dared to net some criminals allegedly involved in a dacoity case in Jhumra.

The situation, however, invited the wrath of Punjab Assembly Speaker Afzal Sahi and PML-Q provincial secretary-general Zaheeruddin, a former minister. The officer was immediately ordered to leave the position, they said.

They added that some senior officials intervened, but all their efforts to rescue the SP proved futile.

Chak Jhumra is a major town of the district and hometown of Afzal Sahi. A number of extortionists, abductors and other criminals have allegedly taken refuge in this neck of the wood considered a no-go area for the public as well as the police.

People of the area told this correspondent that they were sick of criminal activities and the former public representatives had failed to wipe it out.

They have now pinned hopes on PPP’s Tariq Bajwa who, along with Liaquat Ali, has dethroned Sahi. Ghulam Rasool, brother of Afzal Sahi, contested for NA-75 (Jhumra) against Tariq Bajwa and suffered a drubbing.

The PPP’s second victory in NA-76 (Jaranwala) also jolted the PML-Q rule. Former federal minister Wasi Zafar, a resident of the area, was refused ticket by the

PML-Q this time and he tried his luck as an independent candidate.

Malik Nawab Sher Wasir of the PPP clinched seat with 43,281 votes, trampling the PML-Q candidate Zahid Nazir, the former district nazim, who obtained 41,055 votes. Wasi could bag only 16,121 votes.

Sources said Wasi had been using the police and other government functionaries according to his will. Not a single appointment could be made in Jaranwala against his consent.

He allegedly distributed funds allocated for human rights activities among his favourites in Jaranwala when he was the federal minister for law and justice. Still, he remained out of harm’s way.

The Baloch clan was in the contest for NA-78, Tandlianwala where PPP nominee Raheela Perveen Baloch outclassed PML-Q’s Rajab Ali Baloch by a margin of a staggering 20,347 votes.

Sources said here PML-N’s strong candidate Ashraf Zia was forced to retire in favour of Rajab and Zia did the same owing to some unknown reasons.

Ismail Chishti of the area told Dawn that criminals were operating in the area and targeting the people without any fear. People exercised their right to franchise in favour of Raheela to get rid of all such problems.

Another setback came in the defeat of Dr Nisar Ahmad, who is the son-in-law of former MNA Illyas Jutt, known in the country because of his enmity with the Warraich group of Gojra. Saeed Iqbal of the PPP defeated Nisar by a margin of 9,678 votes.

Political pundits say the people of this area were not happy with Dr Nisar Ahmad and some of his cronies. They said most of his fellows were allegedly involved in extortion, land grabbing and other crimes of heinous nature.

During the last general election, the police had raided the house of Dr Nisar, then a PPP nominee, to arrest some proclaimed offenders. Dr Nisar family described the police action as a political stunt to harass their voters.

All big guns in these areas, analysts say, tried their level best to keep their empires intact.

A police officer, requesting anonymity, said it was like a dream to arrest any person from Chak Jhumra, Thekriwala, Jaranwala and Tandlianwala and crime ratio in all such areas was much higher than other localities.

He said the police had reports that most of the extortionists, pushers and vagabonds were living in such areas and enjoying good connections with the PML-Q stalwarts. He would not say what the PPP men’s role would be in the days to come.