GUJRAT, Oct 1: The Kairas of Lalamusa, already on the decline, have to face another major setback when one of their two time union council nazims joined the ruling PML the other day.

At a big gathering, nazim Mehar Azam alias Mehar Boota announced his joining of the PML and expressed his full confidence over the leadership of the Chaudhris of Gujrat and the Shahs of Qulewal Syedan.

Former district nazim Chaudhry Shafaat Husain and former district naib nazim Syed Noorul Hasan Shah were also present on the occasion.

Mehar Boota was first elected the nazim from a Lalamusa union council in 2001 elections. He won the seat with a margin of over 1,400 votes by defeating Syed Nasir Shah, the younger brother of former MNA Syed Manzoor Shah.

During the recent local body elections, he again won his seat by defeating Masood Siddique Bhutto of the PML.

Sources close to Mehar Boota told Dawn that the nazim took the decision after the Kairas ignored him and his biradari permanently.

It may be mentioned that power of the Kairas has already been diminished in Kharian tehsil owing to the change of loyalties by their close aides.

Former caretaker chief minister Mian Afzal Hayat, MNA Rahman Naseer Marala, MPA Amir Usman Adil, the family of former Lalamusa municipality chairman Mirza Jamshed Ali Shams, former Kharian tehsil councillor Asif Dhama and former municipality chairman Sheikh Hafizullah Siddique have already quit the Kairas.

Facing corruption charges, former tehsil nazim Nadeem Asghar Kaira, who is already in the jail, is again contesting the election against Syed Noorul Hasan Shah.