SUKKUR, Sept 13: As many as 27 candidates are contesting for three National Assembly and six Sindh Assembly seats in Jacobabad district.

Although the election is less than a month away, the election activities have yet to pick up momentum in the district.

For NA-208 seat, Illahi Baksh Soomro, former speaker, NA, who has recently joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, is facing the People’s Party Parliamentarians’ Ijaz Jakhrani and there are reports that entire official support will support the former.

PML-Q is known as a king’s party therefore it will not be surprizing if Ilahi Bukhsh gets official support, also because he has patched up his differences with his nephew, Sindh Governor Mohammedmian Soomro, who is now content with governorship and has withdrawn form contest on this seat at last moment.

For NA-209 seat, a former federal minister, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani of the PPP will contest against Sardar Abdul Rahim Khoso of the PML-Q, who is son of Sindh minister, Muqim Khoso.

For NA-210 seat, the PPP’s Imran Khan Bijarani, who is son of former federal minister, Mehran Khan Bijarani, will face Salim Jan Mazari of the Sindh Democratic Alliance.

The seat consists of Kashmor and Kandhkot towns and adjoining areas and in the last couple of elections, it was grabbed by Mehran Khan.

Presently Mehran Khan is not at good terms with his cousin, Hazar Khan, and although the latter is a PPP candidate, he is accused of supporting the SDA candidate for NA-210 by Imran.

In PS-13, Jacobabad, constituency, Manzoor Panhwar, PPP, is fighting against Abdul Rahim Khoso who is also pitched against former provincial minister, Naseer Khan Khoso, for PS-14 Jacobabad.

For PS-15, Thul, seat, Sohrab Khan Sarki of the PPP is confronting Tahir Khoso of the SDA in a one to one contest while for PS-16, Tangwani, seat, Mehboob Ali Bijarani of the PPP is pitched against Nazir Khoso of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

In PS-17, Kandhkot, constituency, two cousins from the family of Sundrani tribal chieftain, Iqbal Sundrani (PPP) and Ghulam Abid Sundrani (MMA) are pitched against each other. Raja Ghous Bakhsh is also fighting on this seat on the PML-Q ticket.

This is a test case for the Sundrani brothers, Sundar Khan and Hakim Ali, as their sons are in a one to one contest.

A former provincial minister, Mir Ghalib Dombki of the PPP will be facing Salim Jan Mazari of the SDA for PS/18, Kashmor, seat. On alternate occasions, each of them used to be elected from this constituency in the past.

APPEAL: Khurshid Shah of the PPP has decided to appeal in the Sindh High Court against the rejection of his appeal for restoration of his nomination papers for PS-2, Sukkur.