KARACHI: As independent candidates from Lyari gear up for local government election, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) faces tough competition from within its cadres, which is more intense than that coming from a possible rival, says PPP MNA from Lyari, Shahjahan Baloch while speaking to Dawn on Sunday.

For the past few weeks, PPP is looking for suitable candidates to represent 15 union councils of Lyari. These representatives will come from four major biradaris of the area, which are; Baloch, Kachhi, Laasi and Mianwali (or Niazi).

Having roots in their major constituency for four decades now, PPP faces more intense rivalry from within than from outside contenders. The biradaris, which had always voted for the PPP, are at present busy.

They are either making alliances with other political parties or fighting independently. A small chunk of these biradaris are also part of the four new UCs conjoined by the Election Commission of Pakistan for the LG elections, including areas such as Baghdadi and Shah Baig Lane, Agra Taj Colony and New Kalari, Daryabad and Hingorabad, Kachhi Memon Society and Khadda Market.

Old party activists have also resurfaced recently to convince people to join hands with the PPP once again.

Shahjahan Baloch says the situation will be tough for PPP as “not everyone readily accepts the party’s choice of a candidate and their eventual defeat”. As a result, he added, the party might see a “surge in independent candidates who will challenge the decision.”

He said a similar situation had emerged in the 2002 LG elections as well as in 2005. “We faced a lot of difficulties in making people understand the process of giving party tickets to particular people. And eventually, we were fine with them going ahead and fighting on their own because we had a majority.”

The party sources said that Shahjahan had also challenged a ticket holder selected by the party during 2005 LG elections for the seat of Nazim, and won.

Having served as a councillor in 1983 and running a number of street schools, Jameel Murad, known as Master Jameel, will be fighting as an independent candidate from Baghdadi and Shah Baig Lane, which falls under UC-7.

Speaking to Dawn, he says his focus is to provide education, water and electricity to people. According to a PPP member, Master Jameel, who at one point was a staunch party supporter, was offered a ticket by the party recently to run as their candidate from UC-7 instead but he refused.

“We have given them [PPP] many chances. The announcement made by former president Asif Ali Zardari about providing clean water to the area is yet to be fulfilled. It is time for us to take control of our own destiny, I believe,” he added.

At the same time, Kachhi Rabita Committee (KRC) is making alliances with other political parties, for instance Haji Shafiq Jamot’s Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) and Yusuf Masti Khan’s National Workers Party (NWP).

These alliances are made to ensure getting seats in PPP dominated areas, such as Ibrahim Hyderi, Keamari, Malir, Moachh Goth, Raees Goth, Hub Chowki and Lyari.

This alliance is made under the flagship of Karachi Awami Ittehad (KAI) founded by Abdullah Hussain Haroon a year back. Apart from Kachhis, the alliance brings together Gujaratis, Punjabis and Urdu-speaking communities.

KRC head Anwar Kachhi said: “We want to focus on issues faced by fishermen community, environment and security. We were approached by the PPP candidates but we refused. The past five years were difficult for all of us. We don’t want to repeat the same mistakes.”

The Mianwali or Niazi groups in Lyari, basically having a stronghold in Lea Market, first pinned their hopes on Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), but due to lack of activity by the party in the area they are opting to fight independently.

That leaves behind the Baloch and Laasi groups, but PPP MNA Shahjahan says: “KRC does not represent the entire Kachhi community. Apart from the Baloch and Laasis, we have received assurances of support from Pakhtuns, Punjabis, Kachhis and other communities as well. If it’s all about competition, then we are willing to face it.”

Apart from the different alliances made from within, political parties such as Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) is quietly making inroads into Moosa Lane and Bihar Colony, defeating a PPP candidate in 2002 and later losing in 2005.

What is holding the political activity by a thread is the law and order situation in Lyari. Not denying it, both Shahjahan and Master Jameel say the Rangers Operation is good as a short-term solution, but they show concern over a ‘relapse’.

“We are hoping for a peaceful election,” says Master Jameel, while Shahjahan adds that there is “no black and white dynamic to Lyari. It is poverty that breeds criminals. We are watching the rise of politically backed criminals. And PPP needs to be stronger from within to fight it head-on.”

Published in Dawn, October 5th , 2015

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