SUKKUR, March 16: In a significant political development, Sardar Mohammad Bukhsh Khan Mahar — the chieftain of his community in the areas falling within Sukkur division — has been requested to contest on NA-199 Sukkur against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) heavyweight Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah in upcoming general elections.

Sardar Mahar is reported to have been offered the ticket of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F).

The PML-F leadership is certain that Sardar Mahar will not turn down the offer, though political analysts believe it will be a neck-and-neck fight if the Mahar chieftain agrees to take on Mr Shah.

Sardar Mahar has a huge vote bank in the constituency though former zila nazim of Ghotki Sardar Ali Gohar Khan Mahar and his brothers — former chief minister Ali Mohammad Mahar and Raja Khan Mahar — joined the PPP some time back and can play a big role in dividing the Sardar’s voters belonging to the Mahar community.

Interestingly, the Mahar community in Sukkur will have to choose between their Sardar and the Mahar brothers in this situation, though much politicking is to be witnessed in the days to come as electioneering in Sindh is yet to pick up.

Former provincial minister Sheharyar Mahar has recently announced that he will take part in the elections on a PML-F ticket. He is expected to file his nomination for PS-2 Sukkur-Tamachani. At present, he is supported by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazal, Sunni Tehreek, Tehreek-i-Insaf and several nationalist groups including the Qaumi Awami Tehreek. An election alliance of the supporting parties and groups in the area is led by the PML-F, which is emerging as the main rival of the PPP. There are moves in the PPP to field Haji Anwar Khan Mahar against Sheharyar Mahar on PS-2.

Sources privy to the PPP say that another PPP heavyweight, Noman Islamuddin Shaikh, will face a tough contest for his NA 198 Sukkur City constituency, for which nomination of Dr Nasrullah Baloch is under consideration. For PS-1 Sukkur City, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, a former zila nazim is an aspirant for a PPP ticket.

In Kashmore, the PPP recently suffered a set back when its stalwart Ghous Bukhsh Bijarani quit the party and joined the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazal.

In a joint press conference with JUI Sindh general secretary Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro on Thursday night Madressah Hammadia, Mr Bijarani severely criticised the PPP for neglecting the people of his constituency during its five-year term and for failing to address pubic issues at the national level.

The two leaders urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to ensure implementation of Articles 62 and 63 of the constitution saying that it could “cleanse politics by 90 per cent”.

They also attacked President Asif Ali Zardari for handing over two islands of Sindh to real estate tycoon Malik Riaz.

They said that a meeting of the 10-party anti-PPP alliance would be held on March 20 to chalk out a strategy for a one-to-one contest on each NA and PA seat.

Mr Bijarani claimed that he decided to quit the PPP after realising involvement of its top leaders in massive corruption.