The twin districts of Thatta and Sujawal are going to be two fortresses of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) during the forthcoming local body elections scheduled to be held on June 26 in Sindh.
Currently, there is no political force in the two districts that could challenge even a weak candidate during the local body elections. The presence of the Shirazi group (which includes former senator Sassui Palijo, Rehana Laghari, Dr. Abdul Wahid Soomro, Sadiq Memon, Heer Suho, Muhammad Ali Malkani, and Ghulam Qadir Malkani) and Memon group (led by former MNA Arbab Wazir Memon of Darro and Khojas of Mirpur Bathoro) in the party has made it a mighty force, leaving no room for PPP’s opponents to create an interesting situation during the elections.
PTI in district Sujawal, under the leadership of Abdur Rahman Malah, Shoaib Azad Memon, Advocate Imran Ali Shah and Advocate Zeeshan Khowaja, is still struggling for its distinct entity. But with the help of a small political and religious group, the party can at least resist in the face of an easy victory for the PPP. On the other hand, PTI president of district Thatta, Arsalan Bux Brohi, would be enjoying the support of his community but that would not be enough to cause problems for MPA Haji Ali Hassan Zardari who is the talk of the town for the out-of-turn development scheme for the coastal settlements of the district. His overnight fame in the district would make PPP a strong side even during the general case of the exit of the Shirazi group known for its unpredictable and staggering decisions.
The famous Shirazi group of Thatta and Sujawal – which is now being led by Syed Shafqat Hussain Shah Shirazi – decided to quit PPP just at the eleventh hour and went on to contest the general elections of 2013 with the support of local influential Malkani group that has a strong influence in the coastal areas of district Sujawal. However, Darro is under the influence of Arbab Wazir Memon and his group, followed by Bathoro where nationalist parties have always made PPP struggle, despite the strong influence of veteran PPP leaders Aijaz Khoja Altaf Khoja and newcomer PPP MPA Heer Suho.
The coastal taluka Jati is considered the home of Malkanis – a sub-clan of the Jat tribe. A seasoned politician and chieftain of the Jat tribe Raees Ghulam Qadir Malkani has kept the whole Jatt community connected and united, which is why no political force in the underprivileged area has ever posed any threat to them. On top of that, the political approach of MPA Muhammad Ali Malkani has made them almost unbeatable despite adamant efforts made by small political forces in the area. However, Iqbal Musa Khan Chandio of Chuhar Jamali can prove a dark horse against Malkanis and would cause serious damage to their vote bank if he joins PTI ahead of local body elections.
It seems that PPP has no threat in these two districts despite its diminishing political graph across the country.
