ATTOCK, Dec 9: The district nazim calls the shots about elections in Attock as he did when this northern Punjab district elected non-resident Shaukat Aziz to the National Assembly for his elevation to the prime ministership four years ago.

Mr Aziz is not a candidate for the January 8 elections but all front-running candidates of the formerly ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) for three National Assembly and four provincial assembly seats are running with the nazim’s consent and support, giving credence to opposition fears about the role of the PML- dominated local governments.

Opposition candidates seem to be in the defensive even before the start of the campaign, hoping visits by their popular leaders like former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif could turn the tables on their opponents.

The nazim, Maj (retd) Tahir Sadiq enjoys big support among the people that candidates backed by him want to cash.

But analysts said none of them seemed unconquerable if a wave of change blows when the campaign heats up.

As of now, the usual hustle and bustle of the election seemed completely missing when this correspondent visited the district at the weekend.

No election banners, placards, hoardings, buntings, flags or advertisements were visible from one to the other end of the city, not very far from the famous Attock Fort where PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif spent some time before being exiled to Saudi Arabia in 2000.

When asked, most people attributed the calm to a general confusion and uncertainty about whether the elections will be held at all in view of opposition’s threats of boycott. However, many elderly people said it was routine that the city never wore any special look on the occasion of elections. It was a marked contrast to the nearby Rawalpindi district which became active after the election schedule was announced.

But it does not mean that there is no movement at all on the electioneering side, as candidates have set up their election offices at various places and are undertaking tours of various localities and villages to get assurances from heads of various groups, clans and parties.

“There is complete confusion about whether the elections will take place or not, and if held, whether it will be free, fair and transparent,” a senior Leaguer, who has entered the contest with the district nazim on allotment of tickets, confided to this scribe when quizzed about the overall atmosphere of the district politics.

The common voter in the town is upset with the uncertainty but determined to poll his vote for a change.

A fruit vendor, Safdar, 45, said he wanted Gen Musharraf to be removed from the political scene — but through the power of vote.

Mohammad Ijaz, a manual worker, expressed his scepticism about the polls being held at all. He, however, said he would cast his vote whenever a chance was afforded to him. An incapacitated old man, Shakir from Peshawar, who earns his livelihood by begging in Attock, said he would return to his hometown to cast his vote.

But former minister of state Malik Amin Aslam, who belongs to an influential political family, is extremely perturbed by what he describes as ‘hypocrisy’ of the leadership pitching Eman Wasim, the niece of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, against him after he was allotted ticket for NA-57 by the PML-Q.

Interestingly, Ms Wasim had vacated NA-58 for Shaukat Aziz when he was picked by the party for the slot of prime minister. This time, the seat is doled out to former chief minister and PML nominee for prime ministership, Chaudhry Parvaiz Elahi.

Meeting his supporters in Hazro, Mr Aslam said he may perforce return the party ticket if the issue was not resolved and his female contender did not withdraw. He said he had informed President Musharraf about the situation.

He confirmed that there were rampant complaints of political manipulations and violations of code of conduct provided by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

PML-Q as a party, in fact, is facing defining moment as Attock is under attack from what is termed ‘imported’ candidates or those belonging to one family.

Mr Sadiq has strengthened his grip over the district politics during the last seven years while controlling the local government and keeping close contact with the president’s camp. Now the local people do not see success for anyone without the seal of the district nazim.

The local people said the nazim has done a lot for the uplift of this backward district through judicious use of development funds. The opposition parties, however, differ with this notion saying that whatever has been done in the name of development is lopsided and could not last long.

Almost all opponent candidates looked defensive when interviewed by this scribe during a day-long visit to the three constituencies of the district, starting from Hassanabdal and comprising Fatehjang and Attock.

Major political parties - the PPP and PML-N - who have been contesting and winning from the three seats in the past seem to be unprepared or under-prepared against well-prepared and well-equipped district nazim’s candidates.

The PML succeeded in persuading the district nazim from not contesting elections directly, otherwise he would have filed his own nomination papers on more than one constituencies in the district.

What is the reason for this acceptability of Mr Sadiq is reported to be his availability to the common people. He meets hundreds of people daily at his residence, his office and in the field, the locals say.