MQM reclaims NA-246

• MQM candidate Kunwar Naveed bags 93,188 votes, PTI’s Imran Ismail secures 22,885 while JI’s Rashid Naseem lags behind with 9,011 votes
• MQM workers storm PTI’s central election office at Karimabad, burn party flags and banners and clash with rival supporters
• PTI Karachi office bearer alleges unfair polls, says party leadership asked to consider challenging results

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Thursday successfully reclaimed the NA-246 constituency by defeating the candidates fielded by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) by a wide margin, reaffirming its claim that the constituency continues to remain its bastion.

According to unofficial and unconfirmed results late on Thursday, MQM’s Kunwar Naveed secured 93, 188 votes while his closest rivals, PTI’s Imran Ismail and JI’s Rashid Naseem were able to bag 22, 885 and 9,011 votes, respectively.

The involvement of MQM chief Altaf Hussain, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and JI chief Sirajul Haq had turned, what was just a simple by-election for one seat, into an electoral battlefield of national importance.

Around 213 polling stations were set up with 769 polling booths housed in 55 buildings for 357,861 registered voters. Around 2,556 policemen were deployed for security in the constituency, whereas Rangers personnel were also deployed at almost all polling stations.

Although 14 candidates were in the run, the by-poll was largely a three-way contest between Kunwar Naveed of MQM, Imran Ismail of PTI, and Rashid Naseem of JI.

The constituency is considered to be an MQM bastion because its headquarters Nine Zero is located there and the party had emerged victorious in all three previous general elections in 2002, 2008 and 2013 and in a by-election in May 2004. It comprises Federal B. Area, Federal Capital Area and parts of Liaquatabad.

The seat had fallen vacant after MQM’s Nabeel Gabol resigned from the National Assembly.

No major incidents were reported throughout the day. However, there were reports of delays at polling stations with MQM leader Farooq Sattar alleging that the voting process was deliberately being delayed to keep people from casting votes.

Further, two presiding officers and a female voter were arrested for allegedly attempting to cast bogus votes at the Delhi School. One of the presiding officers identified as Syed Majid Ali was sentenced to three months in prison with a Rs 5,000 fine. Meanwhile, Rehan Ahmed has been handed 6 months imprisonment and a Rs 5,000 fine.

Following the delays, MQM candidate Kunwar Naveed repeatedly pressed for an extension in polling time. However, the Election Commission of Pakistan turned down his request. The PTI was satisfied with the polling process with party chief Imran Khan claiming the by-polls could not have been held in a free and fair manner without Rangers supervision.

VIOLENT CLASHES:

However, soon after polling stopped, MQM stormed a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf election camp in Karimabad, burnt the party flags and banners, vandalized property, and laid a siege to a building trapping dozens of PTI workers inside.

Throngs of frenzied MQM workers took to the streets celebrating the likely win of Kunwar Naveed as unofficial results pouring in from different polling stations showed the MQM was leading the vote by a telling margin. Things, however, went out of control at Karimabad as the MQM workers faced off with the PTI workers outside their camp.

Following the eruption of violence, the law enforcers took some vandals into custody but MQM leader Abdul Haseeb reportedly influenced their release.

“A large number of hostile MQM workers stormed a camp in Karimabad. They tore down our flags, banners and hoardings. They also set our electioneering material on fire. Scores of our workers were injured as they were pelted with stones,” a visibly disturbed Imran Ismail told reporters.

Ismail said that he would accept the results but was disappointed by the way MQM workers had resorted to violence.

PTI TO CHALLENGE RESULTS:

However, PTI Karachi Senior Vice President Israr Abbasi told Pakistan Today that the party would challenge the results of NA-246 by-poll, claiming that the attack on the party’s central election office at Karimabad was aimed at hijacking the vote count process.

“The attention of the security agencies was diverted by attacking PTI’s central election office at Karimabad,” Abbasi alleged, claiming that the polling staff of PTI was held hostage at gunpoint to change the election results.

“When the MQM activists attacked the PTI office, the law enforcement agencies rushed to the spot to disperse the mobs. In the meanwhile, some MQM members stormed the polling stations and changed the result,” he alleged. He added that they had moved the party’s central leadership to take a decision on challenging the results as the MQM’s candidate’s victory had been announced by the MQM on the basis of results of just 15 polling stations whereas there were more than 200 polling stations in the constituency.