JHANG, Feb 8 A continuing hostility between two PML-Q candidates, Sheikh Waqas Akram for NA-89 and Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoob for PP-77, falling in the former constituency, has jeopardised the prospects of success for both.

Sheikh Waqas is defending his seat in NA-89 where he won in the 2003 byelection after the assassination of Maulana Azam Tariq, defeating the slain Sipah-i-Sahaba leader's younger brother Maulana Alam Tariq. Sheikh Waqas is the son of former Jhang tehsil nazim Sheikh Akram and a nephew of former MPA and Jhang municipality chairman Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal, who was killed in a terrorist attack a few years ago.

Sheikh Yaqoob is a son of former MPA Sheikh Muhammad Yousaf who defeated Sheikh Iqbal in the 1985 partial election. Sheikh Yousaf is the owner of a known construction company. He is also stated to be a very close friend of Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Pervaiz Elahi and also of the president of Pakistan.

Despite belonging to the same biradari and having political backgrounds, the two families had been at dagger's drawn since the 1985 election. Sheikh Yaqoob is alleged to have sabotaged the election of Sheikh Akram to the office of Jhang tehsil nazim in 2005.

The tehsil continues to be without a nazim and is being run by naib nazim (who is serving as an acting tehsil nazim) ever since.

Waqas would accuse Yaqoob of being a financier and active supporter of the defunct SSP -- something he expressed even in the presence of former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi during his visit to Jhang in 2006.

Immediately after filing their nomination papers, the two PML-Q men allegedly started hatching conspiracies to cut each other down to his size by forgoing alliances with each other's opponents. Sheikh Yaqoob blamed Waqas for having struck a deal with his opponent Malik Zafar Tiwana of the PPP and the latter accused the accuser of having induced and financially supported Waqar Ahmad to contest the NA election on a PPP ticket, which was looking for a candidate after their original ticket-holder for NA-89, Dr Abul Hasan, had switched to the PML-N just before the filing of nomination papers.

The presence of Sheikh Waqar Ahmad on a PPP ticket has apparently strengthened the position of SSP candidate Maulana Muhammad Ahmad Ludhianvi, contesting as an independent candidate in the wake of ban on their organisation. The group, nevertheless, has a solid vote bank in this constituency and any split in the anti-SSP vote bank would mean a landslide victory for them.

Sheikh Waqar is not only dividing the clan vote bank of Sheikh Waqas Akram, but is also set to deprive him of a sizeable PPP and Shia-sect votes which have traditionally gone against the SSP candidates. On the other hand, if Waqas Akram continues supporting Malik Zafar Abbas of PPP, Sheikh Yaqoob may be the one for a mighty fall. Another very interesting feature of his electoral battle is that Sheikh Yaqoob might have induced, instigated or financed Waqar to contest on a PPP ticket, as alleged by Sheikh Waqar, but in fact he is openly running his campaign along with Maulana Ludhianvi.

Both Maulana and Yaqoob made no secret of their alliance in a jointly addressed media conference and their jointly published posters and banners are being displayed in the constituency.