KARACHI: In his analysis of the NA-246 by-election, the host of Geo TV’s programme ‘Aaaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ on Thursday, Shahzeb Khanzada said the visible lead of the MQM portrayed that its voters had crowned the party. He also pointed out to the strange statement of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who said the ban on pillion riding in Karachi was imposed without consulting him, while he had issued order to restrict it only to the Central District. This statement gave an impression of distances between Sindh government and the law-enforcement agencies. It is necessary for making ‘Karachi Operation’ uncontroversial that captain of the operation is given due importance. But it is also required of the captain to impress with his performance and appear being vibrant. It is essential for peace in the city that political leadership and law-enforcement agencies work in tandem. Shahzeb Khanzada further said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) appeared to be very much confident that it had sold evidence of rigging in the 2013 polls. The PTI submitted names of 13 persons to the Judicial Commission with the request to also call them for more evidence of rigging in the polls. These thirteen people included Nabeel Gabol, Hamid Mir and Najam Sethi. It is interesting that the PTI left out the name of former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, while Imran Khan had been alleging of his involvement in the rigging in the elections. Speaking in the programme, MQM leader Kunwar Naved Jamil said he was thankful to Allah for the success. He said the unpleasant incident at Karimabad was regrettable. He said those involved in Karimabad incident were activists and supporters of the MQM. There were many factors which led to occurrence of the incident, he said and added that Imran Khan’s attitude with the people of Karachi was insulting. He disgraced them calling them ‘living corpses’. The leaders should take utmost care while issuing statements, he suggested. Kunwar Naved said the people of Karachi were extremely troubled as the province and the centre were both engaged in embezzling resources of Karachi. In this connection he pointed out that the city lacked the basic necessity of water. He stated that election in NA-246 was very easy and the MQM would have taken a lead of 200,000 if all its voters could cast their votes. He claimed all seats the party had won were very convenient for the party. Kunwar said the people of Karachi considered operation in Karachi was an operation against them. He claimed that the MQM would become stronger with the passage of time. He said the PTI did not have workers. Most of the people with the party appeared to have come to festival. “Those who fight over food are not party workers,” he ridiculed. He said the MQM arranged Iftar all through the month of Ramazan but there was not a single incident of such belligerence. He blamed that the PTI, with its agenda of occupying Karachi, terrorised the citizens. The politics of hatred in the city started with such claims. The PTI leader Imran Ismail said he was not discouraged with the results of poll in NA 246. There was a win in the defeat. The PTI brought an end to fear and panic that prevailed in the city. He said it was an honour for them that the MQM leader Haidar Abbas Rizvi visited PTI camp. He said viewing the manner the MQM celebrated their win made him imagine how they would have done if they had lost. Imran Ismail condemned the incident at Karimabad and at the same time said he sincerely congratulated Kunwar Naved on his success in the election.
