PTI poised for comfortable victory in NA-247, PS-111

Much of the pomp and fervour relating to polls is missing before Sunday’s by-election

KARACHI: If the by-elections are scheduled for NA-247 and PS-111 constituencies this Sunday, it certainly doesn’t feel so. There is hardly any canvassing - barely a banner or poster with life-sized pictures of politicians smiling down upon potential voters. Scarcely have corner meetings been held to make more sweeping promises to the public. Most residents do not even know the number of candidates contesting the by-polls, let alone their names and party affiliations.



But the two constituencies will elect their representatives on Sunday - one for the National Assembly seat, NA-247, and the other for the Sindh Assembly seat, PS-111. The former was vacated by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Dr Arif Alvi, who has now become the President of Pakistan, while the latter by Imran Ismail, who was inducted as the Sindh governor.

All parties confident

Despite their conspicuous absence on the ground, all political parties are confident of victory in the two constituencies which comprise some of the most expensive real estate in the city, covering areas of Clifton, Defence Housing Authority, Delhi Colony and some Old City areas.

NA-247

For NA-247, the PTI has nominated billionaire businessman and real estate developer Aftab Hussain Siddiqui, while the Pakistan Peoples Party has given its ticket to showbiz celebrity, Qaiser Nizamani. Others in the fray include Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s Sadiq Iftikhar, Pakistan Sunni Tehreek’s Ali Nawab and Pak Sarzameen Party’s Arshad Vohra.

In the July 25 general elections held earlier this year, PTI’s Alvi had won the seat comfortably after securing 91,020 votes. His closest two contenders were Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan’s Syed Zaman Shah Jaffery with 24,680 votes and MQM’s Farooq Sattar with 22,780 votes.

Independent observers believe PTI’s Siddiqui should be able to comfortably secure the seat as the party enjoys considerable support in the constituent areas. Moreover, in the absence of the TLP, which had returned the second-highest tally on July 25 and enjoys support from Old City areas, there hardly seems to be any real competition.

According to Election Commission of Pakistan, there are 240 polling stations in this constituency where around 546,451 voters, including 295,567 males and 250,884 females, will be able to cast their vote.



PS-111

For PS-111, the PTI has allotted its ticket to Shahzad Qureshi, who is also the information secretary for party’s Karachi division. PPP’s Fayaz Pirdaza, MQM-P’s Dr Jahanzeb Mughal and independent candidate Jibran Nasir - a civil rights activist - are also in the fray.

On Sunday, the 178,965 registered voters, including 94,719 males and 84,246 females, will be able to cast their votes in 80 polling stations set up across the constituency.

With the exception of the PTI and PPP, no party has started campaigning as is the custom in each election. The MQM has fielded its candidates, but its campaign is not as enthusiastic as that from yester-years.

In both constituencies, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has announced its support for the PPP, while Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal or the Jamaat-e-Islami have not fielded any candidate.

According to the ECP, army personnel will be deployed inside and outside polling stations to ensure free and fair elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2018.