HYDERABAD: Split within Ghotki’s influential Mahar family has become visible for all to see with close family members fighting with each other to grab NA-205 in upcoming by-election.

The seat has fallen vacant after the death of Ali Mohammad Khan Mahar, who had remained Sindh chief minister in Gen Musharraf’s regime and federal minister for narcotics control in Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government just before his death last month. He joined PTI after having won NA-205 as independent candidate after being denied PPP’s ticket at the 11th hour.

Pakistan Peoples Party has awarded ticket to Sardar Mohammad Bux Khan Mahar, whose form was rejected in July 2018 general election. He would be facing Ahmed Ali Khan Mahar, son of late Ali Mohammad Khan.

Ahmed Ali is maternal nephew of young Sardar Mohammad Bux, son of Ghulam Mohammad Mahar. Ghulam Mohammad was twice defeated on NA-205, first in 1988 by PPP’s Fakir Abdul Haque Mian Mithoo and then in 1990 by PPP’s Jam Saifullah Dharejo. He managed to win the seat in 1993.

Afterwards late Ali Mohammad Mahar contested by-poll for the seat in 1995 and won it for the first time and then went on to clinch it four times in a row from 2002 to 2018 polls that perhaps showed the degree of influence he wielded in his constituency.

“Late Ali Mohammad has considerable influence among Hindus of Ghotki and this community is backing his son in the by-poll and at the same time they regret political divide being seen in the family. Besides, development works Ali Mohammad has been able to execute in his area is a plus point for his son which will help him win polls on July 18,” observes an old Hindu resident of Ghotki taluka that forms part of NA-205. “But,” he hastens to add, “PPP is finalising strategy to make the by-election evenly poised”.

Old inhabitants believe politics has divided influential Mahars otherwise they had stood united despite having different political choices for contesting elections. Even their voters are feeling the division. “It is going to be a dangal on July 18 for us,” quips a keen observer of local politics.

Sardar Mohammad Bux wants to contest polls for this seat and is pleading his case within the family on the argument that it was his father who had won the seat in 1993. After his death he was not able to vie for it in by-poll because he was a child then. Therefore “he thinks he has first right to stake his claim to it,” remarks another observer.

Ali Gohar Khan Mahar, who is presently allied with Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), and his brothers late Ali Mohammad and Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar (who won July 2018 poll as PPP candidate) managed family business and politics after the death of Ghulam Mohammad Mahar, enabling Ali Gohar for some time to increase his influence.

By the time, locals say, Mohammad Bux and his real brother Bangal Mahar grew up to assert their ‘right’ and take care of family issues and politics, Ali Gohar Mahar and his brothers were in firm control of local politics. That was why late Ali Mohammad managed to become chief minister of Sindh during Musharraf regime after 2002 polls.

During last year’s general election, Sardar Mohammad Bux Mahar’s nomination papers for PS-20 were rejected in scrutiny, paving the way for Ali Gohar Khan’s uncontested win on this seat. Otherwise, it would have been a neck and neck fight between the two Mahars.

Mohammad Bux Mahar had served as sports adviser to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah in his cabinet before July polls were announced. “Objections were filed over Mohammad Bux’s form for concealing ancestral farmland but now the land had been transferred accordingly,” said a PPP parliamentarian.

Ruling PPP is not taking things lightly and it feels jittery over the seat. It is quite evident from the party’s choice of covering candidates as all are political heavyweights. Abdul Bari Pitafi, PPP’s member of Sindh Assembly from Ghotki who has quit as minister for livestock and Ikramullah Dharejo, PPP’s MPA from Sukkur, are Mohammad Bux’s covering candidates.

Ehsan Sundrani is the party’s third candidate. “I don’t think Mohammad Bux can be prevailed upon by his family to leave us in the lurch,” says a top PPP provincial leader. He believes with three covering candidates the party will have multiple number of polling agents at polling stations.

According to Abdul Bari Pitafi, PPP had reports that some objections might again be filed against Mohammad Bux. “But it will be difficult to have three PPP candidates disqualified in a row. Anti-democratic forces will not have easy sailing this time in Ghotki,” he opines.

Possible electoral understanding between PPP and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl can make the by-poll for NA-205 evenly poised as initial contacts have been established and PPP shows optimism to persuade JUI-F to withdraw its candidate.

JUI-F’s Abdul Qayyum Halejvi secured 37,000 votes on July 25, 2018 and PPP’s Ehsan Sundrani polled around 43,000 against Ali Mohammad Mahar’s over 70,000 votes. “Around 13,000 votes were rejected on this seat and these were mostly of anti-PPP candidates,” said a losing candidate of NA-205.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2019