PML expects victory in eight districts

Staff Report

KARACHI: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) Sindh chapter is confident of victory in at least eight districts of the province out of the total 23, in the upcoming local government election.

The Provincial general secretary of the party, Nadir Akmal Leghari, who is also the Sindh minister for irrigation and power, said that, according to a guesstimate PML-backed candidates would sweep the polls in 8 districts.

He said that he also expected a better position of the party’s candidates in the newly formed seven districts in the forthcoming local government election.

Responding to a question, he said that nothing could surely be guessed as it was not a general election, and everybody knew that regional influences and the bradri system mattered more in the local government election.

However, he added, the overall position could be estimated keeping in view the party’s present and past strength in different areas. He referred to Ghotki, Dadu, Naushehroferoze, Tharparkar and other districts as being the strongholds of the party.

Other districts where he said PML-backed candidates could win are Sukkur, Shikarpur, Thatta and Sanghar.

Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Matiari, Jamshoro, Umerkot, Shehdadkot-Qamber and Kashmore are the newly created districts where, according to Mr Leghari, PML-supported candidates could perform well.

Replying to a question, he said the party had yet not finalized the names of its candidates for the top slot of the district governments. The party would prefer former party-backed district nazims in the old districts and nominate new persons in the newly created districts, he said.

Regarding the possibility of nominating legislators, ministers and advisers for the slot of district nazim, he said the party would consider nominating of suitable persons but would give importance to their presence in the national and the provincial assemblies also.

Asked about the differences between the Mahers and the Lunds in Ghotki, he said he was trying to resolve the issue and was trying to persuade State Minister Khalid Ahmed Lund in that regard.

He hoped that Mr Lund would formally join the PML soon and would not support the PPP candidate for the slot of district nazim in Ghotki.

Asked whether Khalid Lund would agree to accept Ali Goher Maher as the candidate for district nazim, he said that Mr Lund would have to follow the party discipline.

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