Karachi’s ps-127: By-election on Thursday

KARACHI: A neck and neck fight is expected between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) during the by-election in Karachi’s PS-127 provincial assembly seat on September 8. The seat was vacated following MQM MPA Ashfaq Mangi’s defection to the Pak Sarzameen Party. The PPP has nominated former Gadap Town nazim Murtaza Baloch while PTI and MQM have given the ticket to Nadeem Memon and Waseem Ahmed, respectively. Most of the areas of the constituency belong to urban areas of Malir district, where all the political parties have kicked off their campaign for the by-polls. Election Commission of Pakistan has said that police and Rangers will be deployed inside and outside the polling stations, while a majority of the polling stations have been declared ‘sensitive’ and ‘most sensitive’. The government has also declared a closed holiday in the district on polling day to facilitate voters, said a notification issued on Friday.

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