JHANG, Sept 26: The NA-87 constituency (Jhang) is likely to witness a clash between the two granddaughters of old political rivals.

The contest is bound to revive the memories of the election held some 37 years ago between their late grandfathers.

Consisting of areas falling within the limits of Bhowana, Langrana, Mochiwala and Saddar Jhang police stations, lying all along the left bank of the river Chenab, this constituency is inhabited by tribes like the Jappas, the Chaddhars, the Ramanaz the Rajokas, the Sipras, the Balochs, the Nouls, the Nangas, the Kalias and the Bhojis along with the Syeds of Ballo Shahabal and the Bharwanas of Satiana and Mukhiana.

The present constituency was huge in the 1970 general elections as it consisted of entire Jhang tehsil. It was the battlefield between the late Syed Abid Hussain, father of Syeda Abida Hussain and grandfather of MPA Syeda Sughra Imam, and the late Ghulam Haider Bharwana, the grandfather of MNA Ghulam Bibi Bharwana.

The political atmosphere in the 1970 election was also polluted with sectarian hatred, fanned by provocative speeches of religious and political leaders.

On the other hand, there were visible cracks in the ranks of the Shah Jewna group, of which late Syed Abid Hussain was the leader.

Mr Hussain had to announce his candidature after his efforts to resolve the differences ended in smoke. He took this step despite the fact that doctors had advised him complete rest in view of the dangerous disease he was suffering from. He died a few months after the election as a result.

The Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, fencing its chances in an atmosphere charged with sectarian sentiments, had also declared to contest elections from all three NA seats of the district.

For the Jhang tehsil NA constituency, the JUP had nominated Mehr Ghulam Haider Bharwana, a Bharwana tribe elder, who was a political disciple of Syed Abid Hussain and an active member of the Shah Jewna group.

Mr Hussain and his Shah Jewna group had decided to contest the election as an independent candidate, although some believed that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had offered him a PPP ticket which he turned down.

His falling health had also played a vital role in the outcome of the poll results as he had to proceed to England for treatment midway through the election campaign, giving a clear edge to his opponent.

The sectarian factor, absence due to illness, internal rift in the Shah Jewna family, and to a certain extent, refusing of the PPP ticket, contributed to Mr Hussain’s defeat at the hands of Mr Mehr Bharwana.

A few months after the election, Mr Abid Hussain died. He was survived by his daughter Syeda Abida Hussain, who was married to her cousin Syed Fakhar Imam of Qattalpur, Khanewal (then Multan) district.

Rectifying the mistakes of her late father, Abida Hussain wasted no time in joining the PPP. She was elected on a women reserved seat in the Punjab Assembly and was also made the People’s Workers Programme chairperson, Jhang district.

On the other hand, Ghulam Haider Bharwana had also joined the PPP along with two other JUP MNAs from the district, Sahibzada Nazir Sultan and Maulana Muhammad Zakir.

Having the support of most of MPAs in the district, Abida Hussain in no time proved herself a worthy successor to her father.

She left the PPP and did not take part in the 1977 general elections when the party did not award her ticket from the Shah Jewna constituency.

Mr Bharwana was elected MNA on a PPP ticket from Bhowana and Mochiwala constituency.

Abida Hussain was elected chairperson of the Jhang district council during the first local body elections held under the Zia regime in 1979. She was re-elected to the same office in 1983.

She had all through her political career a burning desire to avenge her father’s defeat.

Apart from the Jhang city and Saddar constituency, she had decided to contest elections from the Bhowana constituency as well to settle old score with the Bharwanas. But to her utter disappointment, nobody from the Bharwana family came forth as Ghulam Haider Bharwana, who died a few years later, had also no son. While her only daughter, Saleem Bibi, was only a housewife.

Abida Hussain, however, faced her opponent Maulana Rehmatullah, son of the late MNA Maulana Zakir, and defeated him comfortably as she did in the other constituency where she had a little difficulty in trouncing the SSP founder, Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi.

She inducted her younger daughter, Sughra Imam, into politics in the 1998 local body elections and got her elected as district council chairperson, Jhang.

Sughra Imam contested for the Jhang district nazim slot in 2000 and polled the highest number of votes in the first phase but lost in the run off polling to Sahibzada Sultan Hameed.

She was elected MPA on a PML ticket during the 2002 general elections from Mochiwala and Saddar constitutency, a segment of the NA constituency from where Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, the granddaughter of the late Ghulam Haider Bharwana, was elected MNA on a PML ticket as well.

Now Abida Hussain and her daughter Sughra Imam have joined the PPP. The latter is an aspirant for a PPP ticket from NA-87 constituency from where Ghulam Bibi Bharwana is an incumbent MNA. Reports are that Ghulam Bibi will again get the PML ticket from the same constituency for the upcoming elections.