MULTAN, Nov 23 The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) have fielded their candidates in the NA-172 constituency, which fell vacant after the death of former president Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari, but the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has yet to finalise its candidate for the constituency.

The PML-N has fielded Hafiz Abdul Kareem, who was the party's candidate in the general election of February 18, 2008. Farooq Leghari defeated Kareem by a narrow margin after re-poll at a polling station in the area of the Leghari tribe.

The total number of registered voters in the constituency is 392,109. Farooq Leghari got 45,370 votes and Kareem 41,894 votes. PPP candidate Shabbir Leghari got 36,401 votes.

Now the PML-Q has fielded Farooq Leghari's younger son and former federal minister for telecommunication Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari.

Both PML-N and PML-Q candidates have started their election campaigns.

A couple of days ago, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited Dera Ghazi Khan and held a three-hour meeting with Kareem in the presence of Sirdar Zulfiqar Khosa to chalk out an election plan.

The election is important for the Leghari family, which is fighting for its political survival at the national level because it was not being considered a player of the national politics after Farooq Leghari betrayed his own party, the PPP, in the mid 90s.

Also, the election will decide the future of the Leghari family, as Awais Leghari's defeat can disintegrate the family and revive the family differences, which went in the background after the death of Farooq Leghari.

Local political analysts believe that under Farooq Leghari the Leghari tribe acted as one unit in the best interest of the tribe.

The PML-N has given ticket to Kareem who has a sound financial background. He initiated many small development projects in poverty-hit rural and tribal areas of the constituency on his own before the general election of 2008. Urban voters preferred PPP and PML-N candidates to Farooq Leghari.

The Shia community of the city showed less interest in the election because of its sectarian differences with PPP and PML-N candidates because Kareem is a representative of the Ahl-i-Hadees sect and Shabbir Leghari is an active member of a Tableeghi Jamaat.

The Urdu speaking community of the city voted for Kareem and gave him lead in the city.

But this time the situation is totally different because the Punjab government has failed to develop the city after digging up all urban areas for development almost three years ago. Now, the city's infrastructure is in a bad shape and there is dust everywhere in the city all the time.

Local political analysts believe that the situation is favourable for the PPP if its leadership takes interest in the election and fields a reasonable candidate. Mehmood Nizami said the PPP could win this seat by taking the fight seriously and fielding the right candidate.

There are three people who can be fielded by the PPP Shibli Shabkhez Ghauri, Shabbir Leghari and Dr Saeed Buzdar.

Shibli contested the general election from the PP-244 constituency and was defeated by the now provincial minister Sirdar Dost Muhammad Khosa.

Shibli told this correspondent that he was not interested in the election, but he would run for the National Assembly seat if his party insisted.

A local PPP representative said Dr Buzdar was capable of taking a firm stand against the local Sardars. He said Dr Buzdar had been loyal to the PPP since his student life and he defeated the Legharis in their hometown of Choti Zaireen.

Local political analyst Ashraf Buzdar said Shabbir Leghari was a more suitable candidate.

He said the Leghari tribe would remain divided to the advantage of the PPP if the party gave ticket to Shabbir Leghari.

He said Legharis could unite and make Awais Leghari win the election if the PPP fielded anyone other than Shabbir Leghari.

He said the PPP could win the election if the federal government diverts funds to the district and the PPP leadership takes the contest seriously.

According to party sources, the PPP has decided to contest the election seriously and tasked Faryal Talpur with looking after the NA-172 election affairs.

Sheikh Mansoor, personal assistant to MNA Faryal Talpur, said the party was going to contest the election forcefully.