THATTA, Dec 8: PML-Q affiliated Shirazi group, led by Ajaz Ali Shah Shirazi, fielding six of his sons and nephews besides one of its allies, has accelerated mass contact campaign to secure maximum support in the forthcoming general election in Thatta district.

There are 496,201 male and 324,659 female registered voters in the district out of a total 1.3 million population against which 640 polling stations are being set-up for five provincial and two national assembly seats.

The second in line are the candidates of MQM and MMA particularly the JUI and JI.

Besides the twin towns to Thatta and Makli which are bustling with political activities after filing of nomination papers, both major and minor party candidates and groups have also established their camps in small towns and settlements throughout the district.

This time, three sons of caretaker provincial minister for food and agriculture, Syed Aijaz Ali Shah Shirazi, one son and two nephews of Thatta district nazim, Syed Shafqat Hussain Shah Shirazi, and the only outsider but an old ally of Shirazis , Raees Mohammad Ali Khan Malkani, have been fielded by the Shirazis against their rival PPP candidates on five provincial and two national assembly seats.

On NA-237, Syed Riaz Hussain Shah Shirazi son of Aijaz Shah Shirazi was facing former PPP provincial minister, Dr Abdul Wahid Soomro and on NA-238, district president of PPP, Arbab Wazir Ahmed Memon, is pitched against the elder son of Aijaz Shah Shirazi and former MNA, Syed Ayaz Ali Shah Shirazi.

On PS-84, Abdul Jalil Memon is contesting against Syed Fayaz Hussain Shah Shirazi son of Aijaz Shah Shirazi. On PS-85, PPP’s Sassui Palijo is contesting against Amir Hyder Shah, on PS-86, Syed Shah Hussain Shah son of District Nazim Shafqat Hussain Shah Shirazi was running against Syed Masood Mustafa Shah, on PS-87, PPP candidate and a former leaguer, Ghulam Qadir Malkani, has flexed his muscles against his cousin and Shirazi group candidate, former state minister Mohammad Ali Malkani, whereas Haji Usman Jalbani is facing Syed Imtiaz Ali Shah Shirazi on PS-88.

Three nationalist parties - STP, JSQM and Awami Tehrik, having good influence in the district but these parties have neither fielded any candidate nor given any instructions to their activists.

On the other hand PPP, hitherto slow and inactive, gained a lot of strength after former PML-N provincial minister, Ghulam Qadir Malkani and former MPA Rais Muzaffar Ali Leghari jumped on the bandwagon of the party.