LARKANA: Pakistan Peoples Party leadership has finalised names of mayor of Larkana Municipal Corporation (LMC), deputy mayor and chairman of district council ahead of elections for local governments’ heads scheduled for June 29, according to party sources.

The sources told Dawn on Monday that PPP MNA Ms Faryal Talpur at a meeting with former district body of PPP and presidents of talukas at Naudero House a couple of days back divulged names of would-be ticket-holders for the top slots of LMC and district council and said trader-cum-politician Aslam Shaikh would be mayor and Anwar Luhur deputy mayor.

The sources said the old party stalwart Khan Sangro would be chairman of district council and Syed Abdul Hayee Shah of Izat ji Wandh union council would be vice chairman, said the sources.

The sources said the former acting president of PPP Larkana and general secretary, Khair Mohammad Shaikh and Abdul Fatah Bhutto, were consulted over final names.

Mr Luhur, a professional lawyer, was a relatively new face for LMC though former acting president of PPP Larkana Khair Mohammad Shaikh, Aftab Nek Mohammad Bhutto, former president of PPP Larkana city Amir Bakhsh Gaad and Asghar Khici had also tried to win over the leadership to capture the seat but their efforts did not bear fruit.

PPP worker from Dokri, Khan Sangro, had forcefully demanded the seat for him in a meeting with MNA Faryal Talupr immediately after LG elections and argued that Dokri had never been given representation on district council, said the sources.

The sources said that prior to Sangro’s name, Aijaz Leghari was considered for the seat and was later offered the seat of vice chairman which he declined to accept, said the sources.

PPP has majority in LMC with 22 votes in a house of 30, followed by Larkana Awami Ittehad (LAI) with only eight seats and JUI-F only one. In the district council house of 69, PPP has 62 and LAI has seven seats only.

There is apparently no competition and the election will prove to be a mere formality for all PPP candidates in LMC and district council on June 29.

But despite such huge odds, the LAI candidates would not let PPP win without a contest, said former Senator Dr Safdar Abbasi who is also president of PPP-W.

He said that consultations were being made with friends and other political groups on finalising candidates for the top slots. Things might change in their favour as voting would be made through secret balloting, he said.

Tanzeela Qambrani to head Matli municipality PPP leadership has nominated Ms Tanzeela Qambrani for the office of the chairperson of Matli municipality, adds a correspondent in Badin.

The name of Ms Qambari, elected councillor on a reserved seat, was endorsed by MNA Ms Nafeesa Shah and other PPP leaders and was finalised after two groups of the party led by MNA Kamal Khan Chang and MPA Bashir Ahmed Halepoto failed to reach consensus over names of chairman and deputy chairman. The groups have support of nine members each in a house of 19.

Ms Qambrani, 38, is a social activist and mother two.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2016