The Muttaheda Qaumi Movement (MQM) is likely to win National Assembly seat NA-245 and Sindh Assembly seat PS-115 with a big margin as the arch-rivals Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) raced away from the by-polls while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) has declared these elections as ‘rehearsal’ for 2018 general elections, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The two seats had fallen vacant with the resignations of MNA Rehanullah Hashmi and MPA Dr Arshad Abdullah Vohra. Both the legislators of MQM were elected in 2013 general elections and they had resigned from their seats for contesting elections as vice chairman and chairman of union committees respectively in local bodies polls.
As per details, there are 15 candidates in the race the the National Assembly seat and 13 for the Sindh Assembly seat in today’s by-election. Considering past record, one can say that main contest on NA-245 seat would be among the MQM, PTI and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
The MQM has fielded Muhammad Kamal while the PTI and PPP grounded Amjadullah Khan and Shahid Hussain respectively for the National Assembly seat. The situation of PS-115 constituency is no more different from that of NA-245.
The main contest in PS-115 is expected among the MQM, PTI and PPP. The MQM has fielded Faisal Rafique while the PTI and PPP have nominated Amjad Asif and Saeed Chowla respectively for the contest. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) withdrew its candidates from NA-245 and PS-115 in the favour of PPP.
NA-245, PS-115 ANALYSIS
In 2013, Rehanullah Hashmi had won NA-245 seat by grabbing 1,15,76 votes. PTI’s Muhammad Riaz Haider was declared runner-up with 54,751 votes while JI’s Dr Mairaj-ul Huda could get only 22,376 votes. In 2008 general elections, MQM’s Farhat Muhammad Khan had won this seat by getting 1,49, 157 votes. PPP candidate Qazi Muhammad Bashir had clinched 15,392 votes and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Muhammad Aslam Khan had secured 3,275 votes. In 2002 general election, MQM’s Kanwar Khalid Younus won this seat by getting 51,696 votes while Muttaheda Majlis-e-Amal’s (MMA) Syed Munawar Hassan got 41,947 votes and PPP candidates could grab only 3,232 votes.
In 2013, Dr Arshad Abdullah Vohra of the MQM had won Sindh Assembly seat 115 by grabbing 55,804 votes while PTI’s Hamza Nafeez was declared runner up with 18,622 votes and JI candidate Abdul Ghaffar Umer got 3,935 votes. In 2008 general elections, MQM’s Muhammad Raza Haroon, who recently parted ways with the party and joined Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), won this by grabbing 60,146 votes. PPP Muhammad Mushaffay Ahmed got 7,453 votes and PML-N Mehfooz-un-Nabi Khan managed just 4,156 votes.
D-DAY PREPARATIONS
As per the statistics provided by the Election Commission (EC), there are total 245 4,09,600 voters in NA-245 constituency where the EC has set-up 227 polling stations. There are 1,62,000 voters in Sindh Assembly constituency PS-115 where the EC has established 83 polling stations. The EC has declared 33 polling stations in NA-245 constituency as highly sensitive, 124 sensitive and 70 normal. Similarly, the EC has declared 66 polling stations in PS-115 constituency as most sensitive, 14 sensitive and only three have been announced as normal.
As per the announcement of Sindh Election Commissioner Tanveer Zaki, Rangers would be deployed inside and outside the polling stations and police would ensure discipline around the polling stations. Besides, Zaki said, 10 monitoring teams had been set up, each headed by district election commissioner. Of the 10 teams, six would be overseeing the NA constituency and four would be monitoring the PS-115 constituency.
Talking to Pakistan Today, MQM Coordination Committee Member Ameen-ul-Haque claimed that the party would reclaim both the seat with a big lead. “The people of Nazimabad, North Nazimabad and Lines Area would cast their votes in favour of MQM as they are voting for the party in elections since last three decades,” Haque maintained.
Haleem Adil Sheikh, who parted ways with the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) recently and joined the PTI, claimed that those who won these seats earlier were likely to win by-poll elections easily. “We know that we (PTI) can not win this election, but we have fielded our candidates to take part in the political process,” Sheikh added.
“We (PTI) have grounded out candidates for rehearsal of coming 2018 general elections,” he maintained.