HYDERABAD, May 8: Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi, unlike his predecessor, is leading the election campaign of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) in a democratic manner; holding public meetings and rallies and addressing party cadre as well as disciples and followers of his Hur Jamaat.

The campaign, coupled with Pir Pagara’s handling of affairs concerning negotiations with other national, religious and nationalist forces, has encouraged the party to become a stronger parliamentary party in the Sindh Assembly.

For the May 11 elections, the party has fielded more candidates on both the National Assembly and the provincial legislature than it had fielded in the 2002 and 2008 general elections.

PML-F had fielded 37 candidates on national and 13 candidates on provincial assembly seats out of whom four NA and 10 PA candidates were elected in 2002 but the number went down to three and six, respectively, in the 2008, when it fielded 11 candidates for NA and 22 for PA seats.

This time, the party has come out with a huge number of candidates (98) — 24 on the National Assembly and 74 on the Sindh Assembly seats.

Traditionally, PML-F has been winning seats from Sanghar and Khairpur districts. Syed Sadruddin Shah alias Yunus Saeen (NA-216 Khairpur-II), Khuda Bukhsh Nizamani (NA-234 Sanghar-I, Abdul Quddus Rajar (NA-235 Sanghar-II and Mohammad Khan Junejo (NA-236 Sanghar-III had emerged successful in the 2002 election while its provincial assembly candidates returned on PS-30 and PS-31 of Khairpur, PS-44 Matiari, PS-69 Mirpurkhas and PS-78 to PS-83 Sanghar.

In the 2008 elections, Sadruddin Shah returned on NA-216, Jadam Mangrio on NA-234 and Ghulam Dastagir Rajar on NA-235 while the party grabbed the PS-8 Ghotki, PS-31 Khairpur and PS-78 to PS-81 Sanghar seats.

PML-F was part of the PPP-led Sindh coalition but acted as the opposition simultaneously – a rare phenomenon indeed. It quit the government at the fag end of the government’s five-year term.

Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi, the sitting Pir Pagara, served the coalition as the irrigation minister. Transforming his party into a democratic one, he organised a big public meeting in Hyderabad on Dec 14, 2012 and held negotiations with nearly all other parties and groups contesting the elections in Sindh for electoral alliance and other important issues.

His parlays culminated in the formation of a 10-party alliance on one-point agenda — wipe out PPP in Sindh. The parties has formulated its strategy in manner that can help it become the third major parliamentary force in the provincial assembly.

The Pagara-led alliance had decided to field joint candidates to beat PPP rivals in Sindh but things did not go the way it had planned for various reasons. The districts where its seat adjustments formula did not work appeared to Tando Allahyar, Hyderabad, Larkana, Dadu and some upper Sindh areas like Jacobabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Ghotki.

A look on election scene, insofar as PML-F stakes are concerned, reveals there are few seats where it will give tough time to the PPP.

Some close or interesting contests are to be seen in Ghotki, Khairpur, Larkana, Matiari, Sanghar, Tando Mohammad Khan, Umerkot and Badin.

Ahmed Ali Khan Pitafi of PPP is against Faqir Abdul Khaliq on PS-7 Ghotki and PPP’s Sardar Mohammad Bukhsh Mahar is contesting against Zaheeruddin Babar Ali; Mohammad Rashid Shah is contesting against PPP’s Bachal Shah on PS-30 in Khairpur while Rafiq Bhanbhan of PML-F against PPP’s Zahid Bhanbhan on PS-31 Khairpur.

The PML-F had won the PS-30 and PS-31 seats in 2002 but lost the PS-30 seat in a by-poll after 2008 election when Sadruddin Shah opted for his NA-216 seat.

Zulfikar Ali Kamario – who won in 2002 as PML candidate - is up against Agha Siraj Durrani on PS-9; PPP’s Kamran Mahar, who lost this seat in 2008 is to face the younger Mahar, Shaharyar Khan on PS-10. It is a one-to-one contest between Imtiaz Sheikh and PPP’s Agha Taimoor on PS-11. PML-F backs Jatois in Naushahro Feroze.

Dr Safdar Sarki of PPP may face some trouble in triangular contest, involving PML-F on PS-15 (Jacobabad-III) and likewise PPP’s Khursheed Junejo is somewhat uncomfortable against PML-F’s Rafay Akbar Rashdi as Abbasis, who were formerly with PPP, still stay in field against him.