By-election today: 30 in the run for NA-249 seat

KARACHI: Karachi is all set to host the much-awaited by-election in its NA-249 constituency today (Thursday). NA-249 has a population of 782,776, of which only 339,591 or 43 percent are registered to vote. There are 216,056 male voters in the area while the number of female voters is 137,935.

As many as 30 candidates are in the running for the seat, including PMLN’s Miftah Ismail and Karachi’s former mayor Mustafa Kamal.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has ordered strict implementation of coronavirus SOPs during the by-polls in NA-249. Special staff will also be deployed for implementation of these SOPs.

Last month, the ECP had announced the schedule for the by-polls in NA-249 after PTI’s Faisal Vawda resigned from the National Assembly seat, which he won in the 2018 general elections after securing 35,344 votes.

Meanwhile, PMLN leaders on Wednesday criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party for creating a tense atmosphere in the NA-249 constituency and deploying their favourite polling staff at specific polling stations.

They said if any attempt to rig the by-election was made, the results would not be good for Pakistan and Karachi.

Former prime minister and PMLN’s central leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi while addressing a press conference at the Muslim League House said his party candidate Miftah Ismail was certain to win, adding that they would not allow a Daska-like situation to arise in Karachi.

Former governor Sindh Mohammad Zubair, PMLN Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Amir Muqam, Sindh leader Khawaja Tariq Nazir, Nasiruddin Mehmood and others accompanied Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Shahid Khaqan said despite ruling the province for the past 13 years, the PPP had not done any work in Sindh. “But now the PPP has been using the ministerial funds and government machinery in NA-249 after the by-polls were announced in the constituency,” he said.

He also criticised the federal ministers for visiting the constituency to run the PTI candidate’s campaign and for distributing Ehsaas and ration cards among the residents of the area.

Shahid Khaqan said the PMLN feared massive rigging in the by-polls, adding that the polling process might also be delayed by creating a law and order situation.

“We don’t demand deployment of the Army at the polling stations. It is the responsibility of the Sindh government to provide security to the voters and candidates and conduct elections in a peaceful manner,” he said.

He said PTI’s leader Faisal Vawda was elected from NA-249 and became the federal water minister but he could not bring water to the constituency.

“What can a minister do for the country when he cannot even bring water to his own constituency,” the PMLN leader said.

Shahid Khaqan also demanded the judiciary to take notice of former DG FIA Bashir Memon’s statements about Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“The National Accountability Bureau has also registered cases against me. When I ask who the applicant is, no one answers,” he said.

Former governor Sindh Mohammad Zubair said the PMLN has now learnt how to conduct elections and how to conduct them again.

He said the PMLN has worked for Karachi. “The work on the Green Line metro bus service was done during the PMLN’s tenure. The remaining work was the responsibility of the provincial government,” he said.