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The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has easily won NA-254, Karachi Central-II, in the past four elections, including three general and one by-poll. However, this time around, courtesy of the city’s changed political scenario, a tough competition is expected between all parties contesting in the constituency and residents believe MQM may not be able to retain its sway.
With 733,427 residents, NA-254, previously known as NA-246, is the least populated constituency of the city’s Central District. It stretches from Bandhani Colony in Liaquatabad to Godhra Camp in New Karachi and in between covers the localities of Sharifabad, Karimabad, Gulberg, Samnabad, New Karachi Industrial Area, Ancholi, Naseerabad, Yasinabad, Azizabad, Bhangoria Goth and Hussainabad.
Formerly considered the bastion of MQM because of the presence of its headquarters, Nine Zero, here, the constituency’s streets are now brimming with other colours amid campaigning by different political parties for the July 25 polls. The famous Mukka Chowk, which had previously remained adorned with pictures of MQM founder Altaf Hussain and the party’s tricoloured flags, no longer bears the same anymore.
Wave of change?
Residents are fully cognisant of the party’s faltered hold and are openly speaking about their grievances with it and who they intend to vote for now.
“MQM enjoyed full support here but since the divisions in the party and the emergence of the Pak Sarzameen Party, it is hard to suggest that it will win again,” Aqeel Bandhani, a resident of Bandhani Colony who works as a shop salesman, told The News.
“Besides, the party has also done little for us and more for itself. We still don’t have water and power at our homes most of the time, but the living standards of our representatives have gotten better and better.”
Farhan Sabir, a computer science graduate from Karachi University and a resident of Sharifabad, believes the chances of PSP and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf winning the seat are higher because people are disappointed with MQM’s performance. “Previously, your vote went to the MQM whether you liked it or not, but this time hopefully it will not be the same.”
Since ethnic and religious cards, unavoidably, play well in the country’s political scene, the constituency is no exception. Along with Urdu speakers, Memons and Gujaratis also make up a considerable size of the constituents, while the area also has a sizeable Shia, Deobandi, Barelvi and Ismaili population.
Filmmaker Syed Jaun, who lives in Ancholi, said that a majority of Shias may vote for the MQM because, despite all the allegations on the party of being involved in criminal activities, they still have a soft corner for it for because it provided them security for all their religious activities and promoted harmony. “It was the party’s Sunni activists who stood guard at our processions in the times when we were attacked,” he said.
The relative newcomer Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) also seems to be making inroads in the constituency. Godhra Colony resident Bilal Hussain has decided to vote for the TLP candidate because, for him, the party was the “only one that stood up for the most righteous cause” – protection of Namoos-e-Risalat. “Can something else be superior to this for a Muslim,” he asked, terming all other issues secondary.
There are also some disgruntled voters who have decided to boycott the polls. Shoaib Khan, a resident of Azizabad who calls himself a loyalist of Altaf Hussain, said he will not vote this time because, he believes, these are just mock elections being engineered by vested interests.
On the flip side, there are also those who think the boycott will pave way for the “unwanted” to represent them. Faizan Ahmed, a resident of Naseerabad who is a pharmacist, said that if people do not cast their vote, they will have no right to complain about things. “It is the only thing that you can do to bring about a change in the society.”
First time voter Imran Ali, an undergraduate student and resident of Gulberg, plans to vote for MQM-P. “It is wrong to put all the blame on the party. Why don’t we question Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz for not giving us our due share in resources and powers, even though our representatives kept demanding it,” he said.
The aspirants
A total of 17 candidates are contesting the National Assembly seat, while 35 are in the run for its two provincial seats – PS-125, PS-126.
This being PSP’s first election, it is has fielded Arshad Vohra, the deputy mayor, for the NA seat. When questioned on what he is promising his potential constituents, Vohra told The News that if elected, his party will make “serious and sincere” efforts to resolve the issues of constituency and of the city. He blamed his former party, MQM-P, for not giving importance to civic issues and said it could resolve them within the available resources.
PTI has fielded Aslam Khan for the NA seat even though it has remained a runner-up in the past two elections here. When quizzed about the constituency’s concerns, the PTI candidate said he has conducted a survey in the area and according to it most of the people asked for clean drinking water, better public health facilities and a revamped sewerage system. “I am 100 per cent confident that PTI will win this time,” he said, alleging that all those people who rigged election for MQM were now with PSP. “They should not be allowed to do the same again. It is the responsibility of the state to stop them.”
Past election results reflect that Jamaat-e-Islami traditionally has had a fixed vote bank in the constituency i.e. around 10,000 votes. Its candidate Rashid Nasim has been contesting election from here since 2002 and he secured third spot in the last two polls. However, in 2002 when he contested from the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal platform for the first time, he made it to the second spot with 32,879 votes. Hoping to secure a win, he is contesting on an MMA ticket again.
Nasim said all his rival candidates were those who have been jumping ship from one party to another for their personal benefits. “For the past 70 years in the country, problems have only increased. A real change can only come by changing the system and the best governance system is what is presented in Islamic ideology,” he said.
MQM-P’s NA candidate Shaikh Salahuddin was unavailable for comments when contacted. Commenting on his behalf, party leader Aminul Haque said people know that his party was in the opposition for the past five years. “Our MNAs and MPAs were not in a position to serve their constituents up to the mark but they did whatever they could,” he said, “On the other hand, the PPP’s Sindh government kept the local bodies deprived of powers, making it impossible for them to function properly.”
Haque claimed that the curtailing of its powers was meant to devalue MQM in the eyes of its voters, but the residents of Karachi were well aware of the conspiracy. He added his party would be successful in the city because it was “the true representative” of the province’s urban population.