1,413 candidates running for 47 PA seats in Karachi

A total of 1,413 candidates are running for 47 seats of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh in Karachi. Only two political parties have fielded their candidates to contest the February 8 general elections in all the PA constituencies in the city.

The data compiled by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) shows that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) are the only contesting political parties that have fielded candidates for all the 47 PA constituencies in the city.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), which used to win the highest number of seats in Karachi, has fielded 39 candidates to contest the PA seats in the city. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which won the highest number of seats in Karachi in the 2018 general elections, has fielded 46 candidates to contest the PA seats in the city. The PTI’s candidates have been allotted different election symbols in accordance with the order of the apex judiciary.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, which failed to reach any agreement on seat adjustment with the MQM-P for jointly contesting polls in the province, has fielded 39 candidates. The PML-N has, however, successfully negotiated with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) on seat adjustments in Karachi.

The JUI-F has fielded seven candidates, while the GDA has fielded 27 candidates to contest the PA seats in the city. The Awami National Party has fielded 28 candidates, while the Mohajir Qaumi Movement has fielded 15 candidates. The Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, although a new entrant in the arena of Karachi’s politics, has fielded 35 candidates.

Forty-five is the highest number of candidates who are contesting the PS-89 (Malir-VI) constituency, followed by 44 candidates each contesting PS-100 (Karachi East-IV), PS-101 (Karachi East-V) and PS-110 (Karachi South-V). Twenty-five political parties have fielded their candidates for PA constituencies in the city to contest next month’s elections.

In the first phase of the electoral process, 2,045 candidates submitted the nomination papers expressing their intent to contest the general elections in the city. During the scrutiny phase, the nomination papers of 1,858 candidates were accepted while those of the remaining 187 were rejected. However, the nomination papers of 116 candidates were accepted during the appeal phase.

The revised list of the candidates contained 1,974 names. Later, 561 political and independent candidates withdrew their nomination papers. In the final stage, 1,413 candidates are remaining to contest the polls for the PA seats in Karachi.

The MQM-P has fielded only one female candidate, while the PPP has fielded four women to directly contest the polls for the PA seats in Karachi. The PTI has also fielded at least two female candidates.

The PML-N has fielded four female candidates, while the GDA has awarded tickets to eight women to directly contest the polls for the PA seats in the city.