Elections in Balochistan’s Khuzdar unite foes, ideological opponents

KHUZDAR, Balochistan: The election in Pakistan have never been free of compromises but in one Balochistan district — Khuzdar — parties ideologically poles apart have made election alliances, laying to rest their ideologies amid the tough contest for one national and three provincial assembly seats.
About 13 candidates are contesting for the only national assembly seat — NA-269 in the Khuzdar district of southwestern Balochistan province. Thirty-five candidates are in the race for three provincial assembly seats, PB-38, PB-39 and PB-40, which fall in the same districts.
One of those contesting as an independent candidate is Mir Shafiq Ur Rehman Mengal, popularly known as Shafiq Mengal, who is accused of involvement in militancy in Balochistan and ties with banned outfits. In an interview with BBC Urdu, Mengal, an alumnus of Atchison College Lahore who later gained admission to a madrasa, has denied that he formed the militant organization Difa-e-Balochistan, which is accused of mass murders.
His allies, however, are none other than the National Party (NP) of Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, who has been critical of militancy in the Balochistan province. Bizenjo and his party also claim to be anti-establishment.
“Why are you so much concerned only about Shafiq in such a large Balochistan? You may ask me about Quetta, Makran, Gwadar, Mastung, Dera Bugti, Dera Murad Jamali and Kohlu etc but you seem so much concerned about Shafiq and I don’t know anything about him,” Jan Muhammad Buledi, central information secretary national party and former Balochistan government spokesman, told Arab News when asked about the NP’s alliance with Shafiq Mengal. Buledi did not refute that his party had an alliance with Mengal.
According to the agreement, which Mir Shafiq-ur-Rehman Mengal unveiled before journalists in Khuzdar two days ago, on the national assembly seat the National Party will support Mengal and vote for “Rabbit,” an election symbol of Mengal, who will be a joint candidate of their “Jhalawan Panel.” Both parties will vote for Sardar Muhammad Aslam Bizenjo of the National Party on PB-39 and Mir Shamir Bizenjo of the same party on PB-40, whereas on PB-38 they will be free to vote for the candidate of their choice.
This is not the only strange alliance in the Balochistan district.
Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, former chief minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz who resigned in January 2018 ahead of a no-confidence vote, is running as an independent candidate for the national assembly on NA-269 and as a PMLN’s candidate for the Balochistan assembly for PB-38-Khuzdar-1. Zehri has, however, entered into an alliance with a party formed by those who had ousted him from power.
“According to the agreement between Sardar Sanaullah Zehri and Balochistan Awami Party, the BAP will vote for Zehri on NA-269 and PB-38 and Zehri’s supporters will vote for Shakeel Ahmed of BAP on PB-39, whereas on BP-40 both are free to vote for the candidate of their choice,” said Younus Baloch, a local journalist in Khuzdar. Sardar Sanaullah Zehri is contesting with the symbol “Jeep” for the National Assembly and “Tiger” for the provincial assembly seat.
The third notable alliance has been reached between the Sardar Akhter Mengal-led liberal and nationalist Balochistan National Party (BNP) and the religo-political party Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). According to Baloch, the MMA will support Akhter Mengal on NA-269 and PB-40. In return, the BNP will vote for Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal’s candidates, Abdul Khaliq and Meer Younas Aziz Zehri, on PB-38 and PB-39.
Anwar Sajidi, a senior analyst, said strange alliances between parties ideologically poles apart are happening because political parties have become weaker. “The political parties have put their ideologies behind as their dependency on others has increased and now they don’t bother about who they are going to be allied with,” Sajidi told Arab News.
“We see more local alliance and the reason is that political parties have become weaker after losing local support due to-non deliverance.”
Sajidi said that the impact of this trend will be very bad. “This will depoliticize the people and the masses will lose their confidence in the political parties, which is not good for the country,” he said.