JHANG: With the disqualification of two main contenders for the PP-78 by-election -- Maulana Muhammad Ahmad Ludhianvi of defunct Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) and Rashida Yaqoob of PML-N -- on the Supreme Court order, comparatively new faces have been pitched by the rival camps as their candidates.

The PML-N has awarded ticket to Mr Azad Nasir Ansari, who made his political debut only recently by getting elected as a union council chairman with Maulana Ludhianvi’s support, before switching over to Sheikh Akram faction of the ruling party.

Mr Ansari is being supported wholeheartedly by all groups of PML-N, including MNA Sheikh Muhammad Akram and his sons, ex-MPA Ms Rashida Yaqoob and her husband Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoob, also a former member of provincial assembly.

After disqualification of Ms Rashida, Sheikh Akram withdrew his son Sheraz Akram from the contest, further enhancing the prospects of Mr Ansari. On the other hand, disqualification of Maulana Ludhianvi has prompted the ASWJ to support Masroor Nawaz Jhangvi, younger son of the founder and patron of the outfit, late Haq Nawaz Jhangvi. The elder son of late Jhangvi, Izharul Haq, was assassinated in Karachi.

Masroor Jhangvi, who was officially not a member of the banned outfit, is considered an uncontroversial figure having no baggage of sectarian cases.

He had filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate to contest against Maulana Ludhianvi, besides others.

However, the Supreme Court verdict resulting in Ludhianvi’s disqualification has left the ASWJ voters with no option but to support the son of the founder of their outfit.

The PML-N would expect Azad Ansari to deprive Masroor Jhangvi of the Ansari clan’s considerable vote bank in the constituency, that traditionally favours ASWJ, (defunct Sipah Sihaba Pakistan).

Young Jhangvi will also try to win over a large number of Urdu-speaking “migrant” voters who have always been backing now defunct SSP.

According to local analysts, the contest in the constituency will be a close one.

A cursory look at the electoral record of PP-78 since 1988 shows that in the constituency, mainly comprising Jhang Municipal Committee jurisdiction area, major political parties have little following.

The electoral strife in the constituency has mainly been between ‘Sheikh group’ and defunct SSP which since its disbandment has been in the arena under different titles, including ‘Maulana Ludhianvi group’. This time too, the situation is no different and PML-N is heavily relying on the support of Sheikh group.

The other two major political parties -- PPP and PTI -- have also awarded their tickets to new entrants to politics. Arfa Majeed, contesting on PTI ticket, belongs to Sheikh family that enjoys great respect in the constituency. Being the only member of Sheikh family in the contest, he can bag a respectable number of votes if he mobilises biradri voters in his favour. However, he, according to analysts won’t pose any serious threat to the main contenders.

The PPP candidate, Mr Sarfraz Rabbani, is a political non-entity in the area who is not even familiar with old party office-bearers and workers in Jhang.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2016