Non-residents contest from suburbs
An election officer marks the finger of a voter with indelible ink during a local election in Uttar Pradesh state. PHOTO: AP
Politicians hit the campaign trail with less than three weeks left to the general elections scheduled for February 8, 2024. Interestingly, MQM-P, PPP, and PML-N have fielded several candidates for 22 National Assembly seats in Karachi who are not residents of the constituencies they are contesting.
Of the candidates fielded by major parties, 12 hail from the affluent areas such as DHA and Clifton. They prefer to run for constituencies like New Karachi, Korangi, Liaquatabad, Baldia Town, which lack basic amenities. According to data submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), only seven out of the 19 MQM-P candidates running for the 22 National Assembly seats in Karachi have permanent addresses within the constituency they are contesting.
Fozia Hameed, a candidate for a Malir seat, is not a resident of that constituency. Javed Hanif, running for NA-233 (Korangi), resides in DHA. Aamir Moin Pirzada initially contested elections in Korangi, but according to the ECP records, his residence is in Federal B Area. Dr Farooq Sattar, who is in the run for two constituencies in Districts West and South, lives in District East. Arshad Abdullah Vohra, a resident of DHA, is a candidate for NA-240, which comprises areas like Garden Shoe Market, Kharadar, and Saddar. Mustafa Kamal and Humayun Usman, contenders for NA-242 and NA-243 in Keamari, live in DHA.
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Meanwhile, the PPP has nominated candidates for 21 National Assembly seats in Karachi. Five of them reside in DHA and Clifton but vying to represent middle-class and impoverished areas. Take Ali Rashid, a PPP candidate from NA-234 Korangi, lives in DHA. Asad Niazi, Zafar Jhandir, Maaz Shaikh, Muhammad Hassan, and Khawaja Sohail Mansoor are candidates for different NA seats in Districts Central and East, but their residences are listed in DHA on their Form 31.
Similarly, the PML-N has fielded candidates for 18 National Assembly seats in Karachi while it is supporting other parties on the remaining seats. Shah Owais Noorani, a contender from NA-232 with PML-N support, does not reside in the constituency. Zain Ansari, the NA-233 Korangi contender, is a resident of District East. Saleem Zia, contesting from NA-234 Korangi, resides in DHA.
However Jamaat-e-Islami appears to be an exception. The politico-religious party has nominated candidates for all 22 NA seats in Karachi. While most representatives are from the same district or constituency, the ECP records show that Mumtaz Hussain Sahto, a JI candidate from NA-229 Malir, is a native of Khairpur district of Sindh.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2024.