MQM-P emerges as Hyderabad’s largest party by winning two NA, three PA seats

HYDERABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has emerged as the leading party in Hyderabad by winning five national and provincial assembly seats, the PPP won three for the second position, and an independent candidate supported by the PTI was declared winner in the ninth constituency.

Hyderabad’s nine seats include three National Assembly and six provincial assembly seats. According to Form 47, the MQM- Pakistan won two seats of the National Assembly and three seats of the Sindh Assembly. The PPP succeeded in winning one seat of the National Assembly and two seats of the provincial assembly, while one seat of the provincial assembly was won by an independent candidate backed by the PTI.

Syed Hussain Tariq Shah Jamot of the PPP won by polling 108,597 votes in NA-218 comprising the population of rural and Qasimabad talukas, while Muhammad Rizwan of the GDA got the second highest number of votes, i.e. 7,942.

Abdul Aleem Khanzada of the MQM-Pakistan won by securing 55,050 votes in NA-219 Latifabad Tehsil and some rural areas, while PTI-backed Dr Mustanasir Billah came second with 38,315 votes

Syed Waseem Hussain of the MQM-Pakistan won the NA-220 seat of Hyderabad city by securing 64,531 votes, while Faisal Mughal, an independent candidate supported by the PTI secured 52,025 votes

In the six provincial assembly seats of Hyderabad, Jam Khan Shoro of the PPP from PS-60 won easily by getting more than 37,538 votes and Sharjeel Memon of the PPP from PS-61 won by a huge margin by getting 63,079 votes.

The MQM-Pakistan also won three provincial assembly seats, with Sabir Hussain polling 24,385 votes from PS-62, Rashid Khan getting 23,535 votes from PS-64, and Nasir Qureshi by securing 23,184 votes from PS-65.

The MQM-P had lost to PPP for the first time in 2018 general elections in PS-62, but this time it regained this seat.

On the other hand, the PTI-backed candidate won Latifabad’s provincial assembly seat in Hyderabad for the first time. Rehan Rajput, an independent candidate supported by the PTI from PS-63 secured 40,306 votes and defeated the MQM’s Kamran Shafiq by a huge margin.

Law and order

Amid the delay in election results in Hyderabad, firing, baton charge, arrests, sit-ins and protests were seen in the city even on Friday.

In the afternoon, at the election cell set up in a public school, MQM-Pakistan candidates Waseem Hussain, Abdul Aleem Khanzada, Rashid Khan and Kamran Shafiq entered the offices of returning officers and tried to find out the results.

In the presence of SSP Amjad Shaikh, police personnel drove MQM-P activists and candidates out of the public school by using batons. After the situation was brought under control, the candidates were allowed to come back to the election cell and enter the office of the ROs.

On the other hand, independent candidates supported by the PTI, and MQM-Pakistan and PPP candidates reached the election cell at the Latifabad public school and demanded release of the results without any further delay.

The candidates said that despite the passage of 20 hours, the results were not being released, so doubts were being raised that the results would be given as planned.

After 2pm, District Returning Officer Tariq Qureshi, SSP Amjad Shaikh, District Election Commissioner Imtiaz Kalwar and contingent security forces and police remained in the public school until the results were completed.

Due to concerns over the delay in the results of the candidates, PPP, MQM-Pakistan and Tehreek-e-Insaaf workers started gathering outside the public school in Latifabad No.2.

Due to the gathering of workers of political workers, shouting of slogans, and rioting resulting from scuffles among dozens of workers, and the area became a battlefield. The workers started firing at each other. As a result, police and security forces resorted to aerial firing, shelling and baton charge to disperse the rioters. Four supporters were injured and dozens detained.

The shelling and firing outside the Hyderabad Public School polluted the air, affecting residents and field journalists. The area was later cleared by police and security forces.

Meanwhile, PPP’s Jabbar Khan from PS-62, Sanam Talpur from PS-63, Aajiz Dhamrah from PS-64 and Wasim Rajput from NA-220, speaking at a press conference at Rajput House, said that the election results had been rigged.

Aajiz Dhamrah said the results had been given late so that they could be managed and the patience of the workers had been running thin.

Candidates Ali Mohammad Sehto, Jabbar Khan, Sanam Talpur, on behalf of the PPP, along with the workers, blocked the Karachi-Hyderabad Bypass and Badin Highway and staged a dharna.

In the Hyderabad district, the complete results of all nine seats, including three seats of the National Assembly and six seats of the Provincial Assembly, were issued 29 hours after polling.

According to District Returning Officer Tariq Qureshi, due to the inexperience of returning officers of four constituencies, not only the delivery of ballot boxes and ballot papers to 33 polling stations of NA-219 and NA-220 was delayed, but also the results were delayed in six constituencies of the Hyderabad city.