MULTAN, Aug 12: Landlords of this predominately rural district are all set to abdicate the throne of the city government to the scion of an industrialist family who has, according to both his admirers and critics, become adept in the art of political manipulation.
Mian Faisel Mukhtar has been nominated by Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi for the top slot of the recently-declared City District Government of Multan.
Although the nomination was not carrying any surprise as it was being anticipated owing to the reported industrial ties of the Gujrat’s Chaudhrys and Mukhtars and the latter’s Chinioti Sheikh bond with another top notch in the provincial government, it would have certainly disappointed the PML-N stalwarts who defected their party to join the official bandwagon to carve a niche for themselves in the local bodies.
Multan district has been known for its political powerhouses of Qureshis, Gilanis, Noons, Khakwanis, Syeds and Bosans while in the urban areas the Dogars, the (Rohtki) Sheikhs and the Ansaris are also the stakeholders in the political arena.
Blue blood industrialists normally avoid stepping in the political swamps but the Mukhtars of Multan have an indomitable flair for people’s representation. Faisel’s father late Mukhtar A Sheikh had a strong desire to become mayor of the city and for this he contested fruitlessly against Nawab Qasim Khan Khakwani on a number of occasions. He, however, got elected on a Punjab assembly seat in the party-less general elections held under the Zia regime.
Faisel realized his late father’s dream when he became nazim of the Multan city Tehsil municipal administration in the run-off 2001 polls held under the devolution plan. Analysts say that the run-off polls for the CTMA were the most expensive political venture in the district’s history. Voters were holed up several days before the polling day and there were rumours that each had been paid Rs30,000 to Rs 40,000. The winner had got around 700 votes.
Observers also say that during his term in the CTMA, Faisel gave more attention to binding ties with powers that be in the country than to change the city’s lot. A round of the city speaks volumes about the CTMA performance but while nominating him for the CDG’s top office at a press conference, the CM was full of praise for Faisel.
On the other hand, the desertion in the PML-N camp has disheartened the otherwise spirited opposition political parties.
PPP, PML-N and MMA had made seat-to-seat adjustment in 112 of the 129 union councils of the district. The remaining 17 constituencies were of Shujabad town committee where the authority to nominate candidates had been conferred to PML-N heavyweight former MNA Javed Ali Shah, who was among those joining the ruling party during the July 7 visit of the CM. The others who deserted PML-N were its district president MPA Mujahid Ali Shah, former MNA Sheikh Tahir Rasheed and former provincial health minister Iqbal Khan Khakwani.
The Multan CDG has been divided into six towns. The towns and their respective number of union councils are, Bosan (24), Sher Shah (24), Mumtazabad (24), Shah Ruken-i-Alam (25), Jalalpur Pirwala (15) and Shujabad (17).
Although, the ruling party has yet to formally announce its candidates for the top slots of the towns, the rumours are that Shaukat Hayat Bosan has been selected for the Bosan town, Ahsan Tahir Rasheed for the Mumtazabad town, Rai Arif for the Shah Ruken-i-Alam town, Moni Shah for the Sher Shah town and Diwan Ashiq Bokhari for the Jalalpur Pirwala.
Shaukat Bosan is the younger brother of federal agriculture minister Sikander Hayat Bosan, Ahsan is the son PML-N turncoat Sheikh Tahir Rasheed, and Rai Arif is the son of PML-Q district president MPA Rai Mansab Ali. Moni Shah is the leading horse for the Sher Shah town top slot for being close aide of former president Sardar Farooq Leghari who had merged his Millat Party into the ruling PML.
Diwan Ashiq’s brother MNA Diwan Jafar Bokhari was elected MNA on the PML-N ticket in the 2002 general elections but later he voted Mir Zafarullah Jamali to the premiership. But, in return he was made only the parliamentary secretary. So, the ruling party owes debt to the Diwans.
The Shujabad Town, however, will prove Achilles’ heel for the ruling party because the Syeds (Javed Ali Shah and company) will expect at least this little reward, especially if Mujahid Shah is not given a slot in the provincial cabinet while former Shujabad tehsil nazim Rana Sohail Noon is once again in the race for the top slot. His brother provincial minister Rana Qasim Noon is said to have connections with the powers that be in the country.
The other aspirant for the Shujabad Town top slot is the family of former MNA Rana Shaukat Noon. The CM had to attend three separate receptions when he visited Shujabad on July 7 organized by each of the aspirants..
Observers say that any ‘upset’ in the fragile situation in Shujabad can disturb the otherwise smooth sailing for Faisel.
Opposition is trying hard under the leadership of PPP stalwart Makdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi to pose challenge to the official designs but with Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and Javed Hashmi languishing in the prison, the government’s might seems to be a decisive factor in at least in the local polls.