HYDERABAD: Both factions of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan — JUP-Noorani and JUP-Imam Noorani — have decided not to contest elections on two National Assembly and four Sindh Assembly seats of Hyderabad in favour of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidates so as to put PPP in somewhat comfortable position against its main rival, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

PPP has struck deals with JUP-N, led by Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair, and JUP-IN, headed by Mohammad Owais Siddiqui (son of late Shah Ahmed Noorani).

Sahibzada Zubair has agreed on an eight-point deal, on electoral alliance, with PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari which led to retirement of JUP-N candidates on NA-220 (Hyderabad City) and NA-219 (Latifabad). Sahibzada Zubair had otherwise been a critic of PPP’s rule on Sindh.

“A two-member committee has been formed by the two sides to take final decisions on electoral alliance under which my candidates will not contest against PPP in Hyderabad, but yes, I have in principle decided to retire in favour of PPP candidates,” Sahibzada told Dawn while returning from Kasur, his Punjab’s constituency.

He said the two parties resolved to work for the supremacy of the 1973 Constitution and PPP would also consult JUP-N on “all important Shariah and other religious matters”.

Move puts Pakistan Peoples Party’s candidates in comfortable position against MQM-P

He was of the view that being leader of Milli Yakjehti Council (MYC), he had tried to form an alliance of religious parties but didn’t get positive response.

“I was hopeful for such an alliance as the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) was a product of MYC. Then I tried to create unity among Ahl-i-Sunnah [Barelvi school of thought] sect’s parties, mainly the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), but it didn’t materialise either,” Sahibzada said. Therefore, he added, he decided to have an electoral alliance with PPP and retire in favour of its candidates.

Sahibzada Zubair had formed his own faction of JUP after developing differences with Owais Noorani. The former has considerable influence in some of Kasur’s constituencies for which talks are under way among committee members to decide as to which party’s candidate(s) should retire there (PPP or JUP-N).

“We have told PPP that their one candidate is contesting in two constituencies simultaneously. It will not lead to desired results as JUP-N has strong candidates or we can mutually agree on a candidate who has potential in Kasur,” Sahibzada said.

The Kasur district has four NA constituencies, three of which were won by PML-N with huge margins polls and one had gone to PTI in 2018. PPP’s Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed had lost there.

In NA-220 (Hyderabad City), Sahibzada Zubair himself was in the field until the fresh deal while his party colleagues, A. Rehman Rajput and Nazim Arain, had filed their papers for PS-64 and PS-65. Sahibzada Mahmood Qadri had filed his papers for NA-219 (Latifabad).

JUP-N had fielded Hassan Zaidi for PS-62 but no candidate was in the race on PS-60, PS-61 and PS-63 of Hyderabad district. Sahibzada Zubair would retire in favour of PPP’s Waseem Rajput, an industrialist, who would now face MQM-P’s Waseem Hussain, who was elected from the same constituency in 2013. Rehman would not contest against PPP’s Aajiz Dhamra and Nazim Arain would retire against Fareed Rajput.

JUP-IN leader Owais Noorani also decided not to contest against PPP on NA-220 and its provincial seats. He had started talks with PPP soon after filing his papers. The decision followed an arrangement in which Owais Noorani was given open field to contest on Karachi’s NA-232 (Korangi) against Muttahida’s Asia Ishaq. Owais confirmed he had since withdrawn from the race in Hyderabad and was focusing on NA-232.

In the 2018 elections, Sahibzada Zubair was backed by PPP and had obtained 20,523 votes against MQM’s Salahuddin’s 52,056 votes. Zubair’s votes were fewer PTI’s candidate Mohammad Hakam, who had polled 41,548 votes. The had then opted for adjustment with Sahibzada, withdrawing Dr Irfan Gul Magsi. Dr Magsi has now joined MQM-P after he was not given PPP ticket for any constituency.

Sahibzada had won this seat only once, i.e. 2002, when he was fielded as an MMA candidate, defeating the alliance’s veteran, Aftab Ahmed Shaikh. Rehman Rajput had also won the PS-45 seat as an MMA candidate.

For Feb 8 polls, PPP’s Fareed Rajput is a new candidate on PS-65 while Mukhtiar Ahmed alias Aajiz Dhamra had contested polls on PS-65 in 2018, bagging 12,950 votes which were fewer than PTI candidate Azhar Shaikh’s 19,680 votes. Fareed is facing MQM-P’s Nasir Qureshi while Dhamra is up against Rashid Khan.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2024