Two major political parties have announced their candidates for the NA-245 by-election that is scheduled to be held on July 27. The National Assembly seat had fallen vacant after the death of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Amir Liaquat Hussain.
The PTI has nominated Mahmood Moulvi, former special assistant to prime minister (SAPM) on maritime affairs, as its candidate for the by-poll, while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has fielded Moeed Anwar, former East district chairman.
PTI Sindh President and former federal minister Ali Haider Zaidi announced Moulvi’s nomination in a news conference at the party’s election office in the Solider Bazaar area. Moulvi, former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, senior leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi and other leaders were also present on the occasion.
“The PTI will again win the consistency with a huge margin,” claimed Zaidi. He said that Moulvi has been an active party member for the past many years, and has helped a lot in unearthing corruption in the ports & shipping ministry while serving as the SAPM.
Moulvi thanked PTI Chairman Imran Khan for fielding him for the NA-245 by-election. He also thanked ex-governor Ismail for offering his services as campaign manager for the by-poll. Meanwhile, the MQM-P in its coordination committee meeting held at the party’s office announced Anwar as its candidate for the NA-245 by-election. The meeting was chaired by MQM-P Convenor Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.
“After the rains, the party will launch a campaign for the by-poll,” read a statement issued by the party. An MQM-P leader told The News that the party had wanted to field Dr Farooq Sattar as a joint candidate of Mohajir-centric parties. “But Sattar also wanted to accommodate his local government panel in the upcoming LG polls, so the MQM-P’s coordination committee rejected his conditions. Now Anwar is our candidate.”
In the 2018 general elections, the PTI’s Amir Liaquat Hussain had won the seat by bagging 56,615 votes, while Sattar on the MQM-P ticket had ranked second with 35,247 votes. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s Ahmed Raza Amjad and the Jamaat-e-Islami’s (Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal) Saifuddin had followed with 20,580 and 20,135 votes respectively.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Khawaja Tariq Nazeer had ranked fifth with 9,653 votes, the Pakistan Peoples Party’s Farrukh Niaz Tanoli sixth with 8,812 votes and the Pak Sarzameen Party’s Dr Sagheer Ahmed seventh with 6,136 votes. Dr Ahmed has recently rejoined the MQM-P.