Pakistan

MQM, PPP win Karachi, Naushehro Feroze by-polls

Voter turnout remains extremely low in all three constituencies

Photo Mohammad Noman/sarfaraz Memon/hafeez Tunio June 02, 2016

A election official empties a ballot box to start counting of votes in PIB Colony of Karachi. PHOTO: MOHAMMAD NOMAN / EXPRESS

KARACHI/SUKKUR: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) won by-elections on two seats in Karachi and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured the seat in Naushehro Feroze by-polls, unofficial results on Thursday showed.

Voter turnout remained extremely low in all three constituencies in the two cities because of high temperatures.

PPP and MQM: in need of a major overhaul

MQM is reported to have retaken PS-106 and PS-117 seats in Karachi, with minimal voter turnouts in the two constituencies -- 11.32 and just 9 per cent, respectively.

According to unofficial results, Mahfooz Yar Khan of MQM bagged 18,137 votes in PS-106, while PPP’s Sardar Abdul Samad received just 960 votes and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Nusrat Anwar secured 524 votes.

In PS-117, MQM’s Syed Muhammad Qamar Abbas secured 10,738 votes against Ali Raz of Islami Tehreek Pakistan’s 1,018 votes, while PTI’s Rafaqat Umar got just 950 votes.

Candidate of Pakistan People’s Party Dr Abdul Sattar Rajpar defeated Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Arif Mustafa Jatoi by a large margin of slightly over 6,560 votes in by-elections held at PS-22 in Naushahro Feroze on Thursday.

Imran Khan anticipates snap polls by year-end

According to unofficial results announced by the presiding officer, PPP candidate Dr Abdul Sattar Rajpar received 35,380 votes, while his opponent Arif Mustafa Jatoi of PML-N got 28,820 votes. Unofficial results were announced for all 98 polling stations.

Total number of voters in the constituency is 135,567. Of the total polling stations, 56 were declared sensitive and 23 most sensitive, but overall process remained peaceful, except for some minor scuffles between PPP and PML-N supporters.

Voter turnout, however, remained low because of extremely hot weather. Reports suggested it was around 25 percent.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2016.

COMMENTS (6)

Karachite | 8 years ago | Reply @Rustam: Not just in Karachi, every party in Pakistan has won elections on ethnic basis. PMLN,PPP and PTI has won majority of seats in Punjabi, Sindhi and Pashtun areas respectively.

Rustam | 8 years ago | Reply @Karachiites: Nobody needs to corner anyone. It is the criminal element that are required to be purged, wherever they are and to whom they belong. Has anybody any problem with punishing the criminals? Elections in Karachi is fought on ethnic slogans. Let us see till when the ethnicity works here.

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Karachiites | 8 years ago | Reply Biased Reporting "with minimal voter turnouts in the two constituencies" Although the difference is over 17,000 Votes with the closest participant And in ruler Sindh "candidate Arif Mustafa Jatoi by a large margin of slightly over 6,560 votes in by-elections held" had the turnout been over 30% I expect atleast the same ratio of voters of MQM if not more. Congratulations Karachi. History will witness our peaceful struggle to get a separate province and the Establishment should listen to our demands and not to corner us anymore. The more you suppress us the more we come out to be STRONG.

SAD KAY | 8 years ago | Reply No matter how much the opponents try to malign MQM through out-dated tactics and make every effort to spread false allegations, this party will always be the representative of urban Sindh.

Karachite | 8 years ago | Reply Its amazing to see the low turnout in Karachi. Contrary to this, turnout in Sind is much healthier. I believe it must be hot in Sind also. I'm surprised why the reporter failed to mention the difference in voter turnout. Is that because of the Urban bias? Furthermore, the result pattern might have interesting insights for the next general elections, although by-elections are generally not usually a good indicator.

Saima | 8 years ago | Reply Wow, it's amazing how MQM continues to dominate Karachi politics even after all the allegations levelled against it. Congratulations to Altaf Hussain and his party. On a much sadder note, it appears the PTI chapter is closed in Sindh. When the history books are written, NA-246 will be marked as the straw that broke the camels back....the camel being PTI in Karachi.

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