HYDERABAD: Jamshoro’s electoral politics is lately witnessing twists and turns. It has made strange bedfellows after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership put tribal chieftain Malik Asad Sikandar in the saddle.

PPP leadership’s decision to award tickets to Malik Asad Sikandar and his confidantes besides Syed Murad Ali Shah has irked Dr Sikandar Shoro, Murad Shah’s special assistant in PPP’s last Sindh government.

Shoro has ended up forming newly formed local alliance known as “Jamshoro Alliance” with Syed Jalal Mahmood Shah for one national and three provincial assembly seats to face PPP candidates. Jalal Shah heads Sindh United Party (SUP).

Jamshoro is the home constituency of outgoing Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Syed Jalal Mahmood Shah, grandson of exponent of independent Sindh, G.M. Syed. Jalal Shah has served as deputy speaker Sindh Assembly in the 1997 MQM-PML-N government.

Syed Jalal Mahmood Shah and Syed Murad Ali Shah are also relatives.

Young Dr Sikandar Shoro comes from a family that has been with the PPP through thick and thin since 1988. His maternal grandfather Haji Siddique Shoro won Kotri’s constituency from 1988 to 1993 which PPP has now denied to Shoro.

Malik Asad won it in 1997 to become Sindh wildlife minister in PML-N’s coalition government in Sindh.

Malik and Dr Sikandar Shoro have been at loggerheads since last year after Shoro along with then Sindh local government minister and community fellow, Jam Khan Shoro, tried to corner Malik Asad Sikandar on his home turf.

This annoyed Malik who took it personally and decided to beat Dr Sikandar hands down even if it comes to leaving the PPP. His anger has been evident from his public speeches he has been lately delivering in Kotri against Sikandar Shoro.

“Malik told us he will quit and will contest as independent candidate against PPP if Dr Sikandar Shoro is chosen for PS-82. We found him (Malik) a better option to contest polls in Jamshoro comfortably. Even Dr Sikandar Shoro’s family has been seeking his support to win Kotri’s seat,” concedes a provincial PPP leader.

In this case, he adds, PPP got National Assembly seat from Malik for Sikandar Rahupoto, who is a trusted friend of Murad Shah.

“It is a great injustice. None from my family was considered for a seat. All seats are doled out to Malik Asad. Isn’t it strange?” reacts Dr Sikandar Shoro, who is also PPP deputy general secretary Sindh.

“For how long we will be dependent on Malik Asad,” he says and adds that “party’s MPA needs permission of Malik to attend funeral or wedding. Malik wants everyone subservient to him”.

After being denied a ticket, Dr Sikandar Shoro has filed his nomination form for PS-82 to face Malik Asad Sikandar if there is no other major upset or breakthrough in local politics.

He has not yet been contacted by party’s leadership for any possible rapprochement.

Jamshoro became a separate district in 2005 during Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim-led Sindh government.

Malik Asad has been retaining Kotri’s National Assembly seat in pre-bifurcated Dadu district since 1988.

When Jamshoro became an independent district, his brother-in-law Nawab Ghani Talpur held NA seat in 2002 and 2008 thanks to Malik’s influence and then Malik won it in 2013.

Dr Sikandar Shoro’s family won Kotri’s provincial assembly seat from 1988 to 1993 barring 1997 when Malik won it as an independent candidate.

Dr Shoro’s maternal uncle Ghulam Nabi alias Preen Shoro won it in 2002. He died in 2006.

During by-poll after Preen’s death, Malik’s rival Pir Zaman Shah Jilani’s maternal nephew Pir Mujeeb won it in Feb 2007 as Malik Asad Sikandar being Jamshoro’s district nazim along with CM Arbab Ghulam Rahim put his weight behind Pir Mujeeb, who defeated Dr Sikandar Shoro.

“I remember Malik Asad’s speech he delivered after I lost to Pir Mujeeb,” recalls Dr Shoro, who became MPA from PS-82 in 2008 and 2013 polls but since then has developed differences with Malik Asad Sikandar.

In fact, both Malik and Shoro are nursing political grudges against each other.

Malik Asad had himself fallen out of party favour last year in the wake of controversy of land acquisition involving Bahria Town.

At one point in time last year, the tribal chief found himself in isolation in his home district after Sikandar Shoro, thanks to influence of Jam Khan Shoro, got the entire district and police administration changed in Jamshoro.

Meanwhile, Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) officials had demolished housing schemes of Malik’s friends.

Jam Khan Shoro who has made quick inroads within PPP after joining the party in 2007 is able to get ticket for his Qasimabad constituency but could not help Dr Sikandar Shoro in getting him a ticket.

“Malik was in trouble in the wake of his issues with Bahria Town in Karachi’s Malir and Jamshoro districts. He had to dash to Dubai to see Asif Zardari and eventually settled it. Some Arab-origin friend also helped him put things on right track,” says a source.

Now not only Malik Asad is able to get PS-82 (Kotri constituency) but his trusted friend, Gianchand Esrani and Murad Shah’s buddy Sikandar Rahupoto were given tickets for PS-81 and NA-233 respectively.

Syed Murad Ali Shah will contest on Jamshoro’s third provincial seat (PS-80) of Sehwan.

Jalal Mehmood Shah believes that alliance is necessary to defeat feudal mindset.

“We need to give space to someone else if we want some space in the area,” he says when asked isn’t it strange for him to be having an alliance with Dr Sikandar Shoro.

“Murad Shah is sharing Jamshoro district with Malik. We are here to oppose this jagirdari soch (feudal mindset),” he remarks.

Jalal Shah is contesting against Murad Shah in PS-82 and NA-233.

He would support Saleh Birhamani on PS-81 and Dr Sikandar Shoro on PS-82 and get Shoro’s support for NA-233.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2018