When PPP lost from Lyari

LAHORE: Lyari is regarded as a stronghold of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Karachi, but history shows in the 1997 elections the PML-N ended its winning streak when it won a provincial seat from the constituency.

In 1997, the National Assembly seat that used to cover areas from Lyari was NA-189, Karachi South-I and the Provincial Assembly seats under that were PS-85 and PS-86. Farooq Awan of PML-N won from PS-86, Karachi South-II after a very tough contest against PPP’s Abdul Karim Jat who lost the poll with a margin of around 300 votes. Farooq Awan in that contest got 7795 votes whereas Karim Jat stood at number two position with 7,357 votes. PPP local supporters termed this defeat a result of rigging as well split in the party ranks as the candidate of PPP-Shaheed Bhutto, who was Usman Hingori got around 6300 votes in that election. PPP also had a hair breadth escape from the other Provincial Assembly seat as well as the National Assembly slot of Lyari in 1997 when its candidates won with a margin of less than 400 votes.

From PS-85, PPP candidate Abdul Khalique Jumma won the election while getting 12,913 votes followed by 12,913 votes of PML-N’s Asgher Ali who got 12619. The margin of votes between the winner and the loser was less than 300 votes.

PPP also succeeded in winning the National Assembly seat, that was NA-189, Karachi South then with a close contest with PML-N when Waja Karim Dad of People’s Party won with a margin of nearly 400 votes against Nawaz League candidate Yunus Baloch. For the 2018 general elections, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the PPP Chairman is making his electoral debut from NA-246, a Karachi South seat, covering Lyari area again, though the situation isn’t as ideal for his as it used to be in past when his parents, Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari contested and won poll from here in 1988, 1990 general elections respectively with big margins.

When Benazir Bhutto made her electoral debut from this area in 1988, almost all candidates contesting against her got their security bonds confiscated in the polls. Benazir Bhutto in the 1988 elections won the seat NA-189 seat while bagging over 62, 000 votes whereas the runner up, Jamshed Khan of IJI got around 10, 000 votes. No other candidate in that contest could get more than 7000 votes.

In 1990, NA-189 was the only seat that PPP won from Karachi and it was Asif Ali Zardari, the father of Bilawal who won the seat while bagging 54,308 votes. Just like 1988, it was a smooth sailing for PPP from here as all other candidates couldn’t show any remarkable result. The IJI candidate Yusuf Baloch got around 12, 000 votes whereas rest of the contestants couldn’t even get 4,000 votes jointly. In 1993, PPP won this seat again when Waja Ahmed Karim Dademerged victorious while getting 38,849 votes followed by 18996 votes of PML-N’s Yunus Baloch.

Yunus Baloch was fielded by PML-N once again from the Lyari seat and this time, PPP had a narrow escape. Waja Karim Dad of PPP won the 1997 election from NA-189 while getting 23104 votes and the runner up, who was Yunus Baloch got 22,792 votes.

The margin of votes between winner the loser was barely 300 votes. PPP, however, scored consecutive wins from here in 2002, 2008 and 2013 general elections. Now for the 2018 general elections, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the PPP Chairman is contesting from here and he also underwent a troubled time when a group of protestors threw stones at his election rally. The Provincial Assembly candidates of PPP from this constituency are Javaid Nagori, Abdul Majeed Baloch and some part of a provincial seat from where Rasheed Nurani is contesting.

PML-N has pitched its stalwart Senator Salim Zia from NA-246 who also got elected MPA in 1997 while defeating MQM’s former MPA Captain Syed Ali and PTI’s Dr Arif Alvi. Salim Zia in that contest got 13,636 votes followed by 9782 of Capt Ali.

Dr Arif Alvi of PTI stood at number three with 2200 votes. Salim Zia, the PML-N candidate is also running his campaign with full fervour. His Provincial Assembly candidates include former local body member and head of PML-N Karachi organization Sultan Bahadur who is contesting from PS-108 whereas Rana Farooq, other PML-N candidate is contesting from PS-107.

From NA-246, MQM Pakistan has pitched Mehfuz Yar Khan whereas Pak Sar Zameen Party candidate from this seat is Ejaz Baloch.  

Abdul Shakoor Shad is the PTI candidate till date whereas MMA has fielded Maulana Anwar ul Haq from here. Awami National Party is in contest with Hazrat Gul. Tehreek e Labbaik is also contesting from NA-246 and he has awarded ticket to Allama Bilal Salim.