The People’s Buzurg Committee (PBC), a new form of the People’s Aman Committee (PAC), succeeded to make Lyari operation victims agree to vote for the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which had launched an operation against them in recent past.
There were rumours that after grand operation in Lyari, the PPP would lose its seats, but all predictions turned wrong as the Election Day comes near. The people of Lyari believe that PPP is the only party which can understand their problems and take steps to get them resolved in future.
There are one national assembly and two provincial assembly seats in Lyari, NA-248 and PS-108 and PS-109 respectively.
Lyari covers areas of Moosa Lane, Khadda Market, Mehman Society, Agra Taj, Baghdadi, Angoorabad, Baloch Muhallah, Kalakot,Gul Muhammad Lane,Chaki wara,Shabik Lane,Behaar Colony, Ath Chowk and Dubai Chowk. If we divide the area in two provincial assembly constituencies of PS-108 and PS-109 then Moosa Lane, Kadda Market, Mehman Society, Agra Taj, Baghdadi, Angoorabad, Baloch Muhallah falls in jurisdiction of PS-108 while Kalakot, Gul Muhammad Lane, Chakiwara, Shabik Lane, Behaar Colony, Ath Chowk and Dubai Chowk covers limits of PS-109.
Apart from this, some people claimed that they were being harassed and threatened to vote for the PPP and if they vote for another party their entry in the town would be declared prohibited.
The position of Nabeel Gabol, who had won NA seat from Lyari on a PPP ticket and now contesting elections from the same constituency on an MQM ticket, is very weak. The people of Lyari call him a perpetrator. The position of Shah Jahan Baloch, a PPP candidate, who had replaced Nabeel Gabol, is much strong than his rivals.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) nominee Subhan Ali Sahil, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) Shirin Muhammad, Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) Babu Ghulam Hussain and Pakistan People’s Party Shaheed Bhutto’s (PPP-SB) Ghanva Bhutto are contesting for NA seat.
Sania Naz got a PPP ticket for PS-109 that was previously held by PPP leader Rafiq Engineer while PPP awarded ticket of PS-108 to Javed Nagori. Like NA-248, both provincial assemblies were occupied by PPP candidates during 2002 and 2008 elections and this time the situation is also no more different.
PPP Media Cell In-charge Lyari Akram Baloch told Pakistan Today that the major problem of Lyari was consecutive operations. Raising fingers at a political party, he held the Sindh governor responsible for using paramilitary troops against the peoples of Lyari.
“Nabeel Gabol, who won the national assembly seat from Lyari in 200 and 2008 on PPP ticket, played with sentiments of the local residents and later showed his real face by joining arch-rival MQM,” he accused. “Faryal Talpur appeared on the scene and held talks with PBC and assured them that PPP had thrown perpetrators of Lyari from party and has decided to transfer power to middle-class people,” he added.
“I used to vote for PPP and I will vote for PPP again,” a Chakiwara resident told Pakistan Today. “I don’t care about this that after coming to power, the PPP elected representatives resolves problems of the town, I will request party candidates to take immediate steps for restoration of peace in the town,” he added. “We are with Sardar Uzair Jan Baloch because he is the one who could realize pain of people of Lyari and we would vote and support his nominated candidates only,” he maintained.
“I will only cast vote to PPP because Sardar Uzair Jan Baloch, who is considered as a gangster of Lyari, is our only and true leader,” a resident of Gul Muhammad lane said. “Sardar Uzair Jan Baloch has made a space in hearts and minds of Lyari residents by establishing educational institutes in the town and also created an educational atmosphere in the violence-hit area,” he added. “Beside this he made countless efforts to improve the living standards of the area residents,” he acknowledged.
“A number of people are victims of unemployment due to lack of job opportunities for the resident of Lyari,” a resident of Baghdadi said.