Campaign preps: Political parties cash in on Karachi's problems for public support

With the general elections approaching, political campaigning in the city gains momentum

KARACHI: Many political and religious parties have already kicked off their election campaigns, basing their slogans on national issues faced by voters. These parties include the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) - Pakistan, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N), Awami National Party (ANP) and others.

Political campaigning in Karachi has gained momentum with several parties staging sit-ins at various places across the city, highlighting the plight of the poor and similar causes to garner people's attention.

Some political and religious parties follow a strategy of staging protests, sit-ins and political rallies, highlighting the core issues of the people of Karachi to successfully win the maximum number of national and provincial assembly seats.

Leaders of both MQM-Pakistan factions, Bahadurabad and PIB, are busy switching between parties. Meanwhile, some parties have decided to take advantage of the situation by adopting a strategy to establish either a short-term alliance in the elections or seat adjustment. Implementing the strategy, the PPP, PTI, ANP, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) and PML-N have already initiated negotiations.



According to political analysts, many parties, such as the MQM-Pakistan, PPP, JUI, PML-N and ANP, did not care much about the issues facing Karachiites for the last five years but appear to be highlighting these days.

All the parties suddenly seem to care about problems such as load-shedding in Karachi, water shortage, the dismal situation of the infrastructure as well as the problems in obtaining a CNIC, the analysts observed.

With the general elections around the corner, MQM-Pakistan, PPP, PTI, JUI, PSP, PML-N, ANP and other parties seem to have made these issues their political slogans in an attempt to squeeze every last vote in their favour.

Most parties are busy inducting MQM leaders into their own parties as they have a history in the previously MQM-dominated areas of the city.

These parties are trying to mostly include those workers of the MQM who have political and electoral experience. Apart from the two groups of MQM-Pakistan, all important political parties of the city have started their political activities and offices are being established for this reason.



With the splitting of the MQM into the PIB Colony and Bahadarabad factions, the party's hold over its former stronghold is weakening and it risks suffering losses in the coming elections. MQM-Pakistan leader Farooq Sattar is busy uniting the groups under the platform of the 'Muhajir Ittehad'. However, it has yet to be seen how successful this formula proves to be in the coming days.

It has been said in political circles that the public's vote will decide how successful electoral campaigns were by making the public's problems as a basis for campaigning. It is believed that in the coming elections, Karachi mandates may be split and it seems difficult that any political party will obtain a clear majority.

On this matter, MQM-Pakistan Bahadarabad group leader Aminul Haq told Express News that the party is in the opposition and has raised the issue of the public's problems and will continue to do so in the future. To put an end to groups and divisions, efforts and contacts are being made continuously and a public contact campaign will start from next month, Haq said.

MQM-Pakistan PIB Colony leader Ali Raza Abidi said that the party and all other important parties have started raising their voices to solve the problems of Karachiites, which is commendable.



He said that the MQM-Pakistan will start its political campaign from next month.

PSP leader Waseem Aftab said that the party has been recently formed, while the MQM-Pakistan and PPP have played no role to solve the problems in Karachi. PTI leader Khurram Sher Zaman said that his party has always raised its voice to solve the issues of Karachi and will be successful in the next elections.

He alleged that the PPP and MQM-Pakistan were responsible for the problems in Karachi. Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi chapter's spokesperson Zahid Askari said that JI was the first party to raise its voice for Karachi and all the other parties have now joined in. He claimed that JI was trying to solve the issues of Karachiites. He disclosed that the party will soon start its political campaigning.

PPP Karachi leader Iqbal Sand claimed that the PPP has always solved the problems of Karachi. He said that PPP will be successful in the coming elections from Karachi based on its performance.