PML claims it won polls in Larkana

By Irfan Ali

KARACHI: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League claimed to have won the local councils elections in Larkana, home district of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

The claims to defeat the Awam Dost panel-backed by the Pakistan Peoples Party were made even though the Election Commission had not yet issued the gazette notifications of successful candidates of the first phase of the polls, which were held on August 18 last.

“The PML-backed Khushal Pakistan panel and its allies will form the local governments in 18 of 23 districts,” said Halim Adil Shaikh, provincial information secretary of the PML Sindh. Alim Adil Shaikh, president of the PML’s Youth Wing, talked to journalists at his residence.

The Shaikh brothers said that the PPP was in a position to form district government in Jamshoro. He said that the PPP was also in a position to contest the ruling parties-backed candidates for districts nazims and naib nazims in Nawabshah, Matiari and Tando Mohammad Khan.

On the other hand, the PML-Functional chief Pir Pagaro has endorsed Asad Junejo, son of former prime minister Mohammad Khan Junejo, as a candidate for district nazim of Mirpurkhas.

Asad Junejo met the veteran Pagaro at Kingri House on Saturday. Pagaro told him that the candidate for taluka nazim of Sindhri would also belong to the PML-F.

Different groups and lobbies have started circulating the candidatures of possible candidates. Raheela Magsi is tipped as candidate for district nazim Tando Allah Yar. Either Ms Irshad Jilani or grandson of Pir Pagaro could be a candidate for district nazim Khairpur.

Ms Magsi’s father, Allah Bux Magsi, had contested election to the national assembly against Benazir Bhutto from Tando Allah Yar’s constituency, but he lost to Ms Bhutto. Her brother Irfan Magsi switched from the PPP to the PML-Q and remained minister in Ali Mohammad Maher-headed-Sindh cabinet.

However, press spokesman to the Sindh chief minister denied that any formula was finalised to form district governments, which was reported in some newspapers (not Daily Times).

He said in a handout issued from the Chief Minister’s House that no decision was yet taken in this regard. He said Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim would take a decision after Sindh-wide visits and consultations with the allied groups.

He made clear that Mr Arbab would decide about those districts and talukas where Khushal Pakistan or its allies had secured the majority in the local councils elections.

Indirect elections to the posts of nazims and naib nazims of districts, city districts, tehsils/talukas will be held in third and last phase of the local councils elections to be held on September 29.

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