FAISALABAD, Aug 24: One of the historical districts in the country, Jhang continues to be under the strong influence of feudals and pir biradaries and is divided on a sectarian basis.

PPP turncoat Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, former federal ministers — Shabizda Nazir Sultan and Syeda Abida Husain — Nasvana Group, Maulana Rehmatullah Group, Rajowa Sadaat Group, Akram Group, Bharwana group, Ghulam Ahmad Ghadi Group, Akhtar Abbass Bharwana Group, Najaf Abbas Sial Group and several independent outfits have fielded their panels for the slots of district and its four tehsils’ nazims.

Although the Sheikhs of the Chiniot teshil are dominant in the country’s trade, banking, commerce and industry, the Jhang district overall still lacks basic civic amenities. Unemployment and poverty are rampant and owing to sectarian clashes, the district has not developed as much as neighbouring Faisalabad has.

For the four tehsils — Chiniot, Jhang, Shorkot and recently-created Ahmadpur Sial — there are 14,410,182 voters in 128 UCs.

Chiniot comprises 44 union councils where in the previous LB polls Syed Zulfikar Ali Shah was elected tehsil nazim. This time none of the political parties has fielded UC panel and various groups, including the Qazi, Rajowa Sadaat and Sheikh Qaiser, are supporting a majority of the panels.

Zulfikar Shah of the Rajowa Sadaat group is trying hard to retain the seat, though he is strongly opposed by PPP MPA Qazi Ali Hassan and former MNA Syed Amir Husain Shah.

For 55 union councils in Jhang, which includes 13 urban where panels belonging to the SSP and Akram Group are patted against each other. For the remaining rural-dominated UC of Jhang tehsil, former district naib nazim Muhammad Yaqoob, MPA Khalid Mahmood Sargana, Zahoor Sajid, Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat and his brother Syed Asad Hayat, former district naib nazim, and Syeda Abida Husain are making hectic efforts for success of their respective panels.

In Shorkot’s 14 UCs, former MPA Umar Ali, ex-federal minister Nazir Sultan and former district council chairman Mehar Akhtar Abbass Bharwarna are canvassing for their respective panels.

Sahibzada Nazir Sultan, Najaf Abbas Sial and Rana Ataullah groups are vigorously canvassing for their panels in 13 union councils of the recently-created Ahmadpur Sial tehsil. Former USA ambassador Syeda Abida Husain along with her daughter Sughra Imam, an MPA, is also actively involved in the election campaign of her group for almost all panels of the UCs.

Political observers are expecting a tough contest between the groups backed by Syeda Abida Husain, Sahibzada Nazir Sultan and Faisal Saleh Hayat. The panels fielded by former MNA Qaiser Ali and PPP-supported Awam Dost along with the smaller and independent groups are likely to make an impact.