KARACHI, Nov 1: The inordinate delay in summoning the maiden session of the newly-elected Sindh Assembly is causing concern among major political parties in the House. Besides, this situation is providing an opportunity to power brokers to field more dark horses in the run for the top slot of chief executive for the province.

Latest entry in the field is of Arbab Ghulam Rahim of Sindh Democratic Alliance (SDA) whose candidature has been floated after the notification of Election Commission declaring Agha Tariq Khan as winner in the provincial constituency PS-11 against Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh, chief of the SDA, who was earlier notified as elected.

But, the problem is to find out the dark horse from among the aspirants from the “King’s party”. Being a member of the National Alliance and the Grand National Alliance led by Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi and Sardar Farooq Leghari, Arbab Rahim is the fourth candidate from the “King’s alliance”. Before him, three aspirants were already in the field. They were Ghous Bux Mehar, Liaquat Ali Jatoi and Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah. However, in the absence of an official candidate of the alliance, every aspirant has been representing his own group to assess his position viz-a-viz the clandestine power that matters in flocking smaller groups to equate with the majority group.

In addition to the aspirants of the “King’s alliance”, the main contestant for the office is Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, who has already been nominated as leader of the Parliamentary party of the PPP in the Sindh Assembly.

Another claimant for the job is Syed Sardar Ahmad of Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Although his candidature is yet to be floated by his party, his election to the Sindh assembly was an indication that, if luck favoured the MQM, the party would nominate him for the much-sought-after job.

Being a former bureaucrat, who has served in different administrative capacities in all the divisions of the province he has personal rapport with every family that matters in Sindh and he may also be acceptable to the people in authority. However, this all will depend on the equation evolved between the two major groups in the assembly.

According to the official results, the latest party position in the Assembly is:

Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian 52, Muttahida Qaumi Movement 32, Pakistan Muslim League (Q) 15, National Alliance 10, Pakistan Muslim League (F) 10, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal 8, and Mohajir Qaumi Movement 01. Results of two more seats are yet to be announced. They PS-118, where recounting is in progress, and PS-83 Sanghar VI, where repolling has been ordered for Nov 2 in one of the polling stations.

According to the circles close to the seat of powers, hectic efforts were under way to install a chief minister belonging to the alliance/party which was going to form the government in the Centre — i.e. PML-Q.

However, for a PML Q-led government in Sindh, a man of the calibre of Jam Sadiq Ali would be required to run the provincial government’s affair skillfully and, at the moment, such a figure is not visible in the House.

Though Arbab Rahim is being seen as an experienced parliamentarian enjoying right connections across the right quarters, he does not have blessings of equally powerful figures like Pir Pagara. If the latter refuses to extend his 10-men strong group’s support to the former, the power brokers would not be able to muster the required support for Arbab Rahim.

Pir Pagara’s favourite is Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, successor of Jam Sadiq Ali as chief minister. But the other smaller groups appear not inclined to support him this time.

Chances of Liaquat Ali Jatoi are also remote as the PML(F) as well as others, including Muttahida Qaumi Movement, are reluctant to back him.

Ghous Bux Mehar, in spite of having rapport with all the groups, prefers remaining in a low profile. He has remained the Speaker of the Assembly and also a minister in the cabinet of Syed Ghous Ali Shah.

However, if PPP is orchestrated from the power struggle through flocking up smaller groups, the government could not be formed without the removal of the floor-crossing bar. The waver of this law against floor-crossing, which could be in the form of one time waver, is expected at any moment as a ‘doctrine of necessity’ to get the Legal Framework Order adopted by the Parliament to provide it a de jure cover.