NA-246 by-poll

MQM knocks out PTI, JI

By our correspondents
April 24, 2015
PTI’s Imran Ismail remains second with 19,598, JI’s Rashid Naseem bags 8,347 votes; presiding officer arrested, gets three-month jail term for casting bogus votes; MQM activists celebrate win at Nine-Zero; PTI, MQM activists clash in Karimabad
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) candidate Kanwar Naveed Jameel won a landslide victory in the NA-246 by-election by securing 93,125 votes. After the unofficial results were declared, elated MQM activists celebrated the victory at Nine-Zero.
Imran Ismail of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) got 19,598 votes and Rashid Naseem of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) bagged 8,347 votes.Earlier, polling for the by-election in Karachi’s NA-246 constituency began at 8:00am on Thursday and concluded at 5:00pm.
Strict security measures were taken for smooth balloting in the electoral contest. Over 9,000 Rangers and police personnel were deployed at the 213 polling stations.All polling stations were declared sensitive, while pollingPTI camp. The PTI workers also responded with slogans against the MQM.
Charged MQM workers and supporters then pelted stones at the camp, tore down PTI banners and torched one of its flags before Sabzwari and Rizvi arrived at the scene. They appealed to workers to remain peaceful and celebrate their victory at Azizabad’s Jinnah Ground.
Rangers and police contingents reached the site later and baton-charged to disperse the crowds. Several people were also arrested.The PTI spokesperson Shireen Mazari advised the MQM to abandon what she called politics of intolerance.
In a statement she strongly condemned torching of PTI flag by the MQM workers.Mazari advised MQM to give its workers lessons on democracy.Meanwhile, the JI Karachi chief Naeemur Rehman refused to accept the mandate of MQM in the by-election.
Addressing a press conference, he said that the electoral system was deeply flawed in the country.“Free and fair elections were not held in NA-246,” he said, praising his supporters and workers. He said that ECP failed to conduct free and fair elections in the constituency.