Karachi As unofficial results of the general elections continue to pour in, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) seems to have comfortably retained its hold on the national seats in Karachi. Of the 20 national assembly seats in Karachi, polling took place in 19 constituencies as elections for NA-254 were postponed after a candidate of the Awami National Party was gunned down. The Altaf Hussain-led party has emerged victorious on 14 seat up till now with the result of one seat not announced yet even unofficially. The MQM boycotted the polls in NA-248 of Lyari while the election commission has already announced re-polling in NA-250 after allegations of massive rigging. Nabeel Gabol, who recently joined the MQM after being affiliated with the Pakistan People’s Party for 25 years, emerged victorious from the NA-246 Azizabad – considered the home constituency of the MQM with the party headquarters Nine Zero also located in the same neighbourhood. A staggering amount of votes – 170,000 – were cast in favour of the MQM candidate. Gabol was also contesting from the NA-248 but the party withdrew from the polls alleging widespread rigging and volatile law and order in the Lyari constituency. MQM stalwart Dr Farooq Sattar, the party’s deputy convener, clinched his previous National Assembly seat of NA-249 (Kharadar, Ranchor Line) with 108,000 votes. Sufyan Yusuf, who contested for the second time on NA-247 (Nazimabad, Gulbahar), also comfortably swept the polls with 125,443 votes. First-time candidate Ali Raza Abidi won with 74,300 votes from NA-251 (Mehmoodabad). Abdul Waseem grabbed more than 200,000 votes in NA-243 (New Karachi, North Karachi) to win the seat with a comfortable margin while another MQM candidate SA Iqbal Qadri emerged victorious from the NA-241 in Orangi Town with 35,000 votes. In NA-252 (PIB, Bahadurabad), Abdul Rasheed Godil won with 90,827 votes cast in his favour while Syed Asif Hasnain won from NA-255 Landhi with 125,000 votes. The MQM secured two more seats in Karachi with Iqbal Muhammad Ali winning with 65,000 votes from NA-256 Shah Faisal and Sajid Ahmed securing his victory from NA-257 Malir with 65,000 also. In NA-253 Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Muzammil Qureshi secured more than 60,000 and is all set to win the seat, which is historically considered the stronghold of the MQM. Moreover, Khawaja Sohail Mansoor emerged victorious from NA-240 Baldia; Rehan Hashmi from NA-245 North Nazimabad and Sheikh Muhammad Afzal on NA-254 Korangi, according to unofficial results. The polling results of NA-242 Qasba Colony have been withheld after several complaints lodged by the rival political parties. However, the MQM is likely to win from there too.
Other seats Abdul Qadir Patel of the Pakistan People’s Party won from NA-239 while Shahjahan Baloch was declared the winner in NA-248 Lyari. In the largest constituency of the city, NA-258, Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League was victorious with Abdul Hakim Baloch sweeping the polls reportedly. The Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf emerged as a new power player in Karachi politics, securing a large number of votes in many constituencies. The party has a strong chance of winning the NA-250, when the constituency goes to polls again in the next few days time.
