Parties field 12 candidates for NA-234

Eight independents also in the run in this constituency

KARACHI:

Korangi district was consid- ered a stronghold of MQM and a safe fortress in electoral politics until the 2018. MQM had no competitor on the national and provincial seats in this district. However, in the 2018 elections, PTI won the national seat and one provincial seat comprising these areas.

NA-234 Korangi consists of Qayyumabad, Chakra Goth, Bagh-e-Korangi, Mehran Town, Nasir Colony, Allahwala Town and other adjoining areas. A total of 20 candidates, including 12 nominated by parties and eight indepen- dent, are involved in the election battle on NA-234. MQM has given ticket to Amir Moin Pirzada, PPP to Ali Rashid, Mohajir Qaumi Movement to Muhammad Sadiq, Jamaat-e-Islami to Akhtar Hussain Qureshi, Muslim League-N to Salim Zia, Tehreek-e-Labaik to Abdul Sattar while Faheem Khan supported by PTI is also present in the field.

The population of this constituency consists of 1,014,116 people, in which the total registered vot- ers are 369,230 including 210,221 male and 159,009 females. This constitu- ency includes two provin- cial seats PS-94 and PS-95.

Read: Karachi has ‘spoken’ in MQM-P’s favour: Siddiqui

There is no effective organi-sational structure of PTI in this constituency.

In NA-234, voters in- clude Urdu speakers as well as Hazaras and other communities.

Amir Mufti Qasim Fakhri of TLP Karachi in PS-94, elected on a provincial seat from Keamari in the last election, has now come to this constituency while for- mer SSPSIU Farooq Awan is a candidate from PS-95 on the ticket of PPP.

Citizens in NA-234 con- stituencies are facing very basic problems like non- collection of garbage and a bigger problem is clean water supply and proper sewage system. Most of the residents in this con- stituency largely depend for employment on the industries in the Korangi Industrial Zone.

Ali Rashid, the PPP can- didate from NA-234, was previously a member of the National Assembly on the MQM ticket. Salim Zia of the N-League and Ali Rashid of the PPP are not the resi- dents of this constituency. Both of them have come to this constituency to contest elections from posh areas. MQM's Amir Moin Pirzada also contested the election from the same constitu- ency in 2018 and was also a member of the Provincial Assembly in 2013.