MQM-P may stage a comeback on Korangi’s three NA seats – Pakistan

KORANGI is a relatively new district of Karachi division as it was created in 2013, after the May 2013 general elections, by the then government of the Pakistan Peoples Party. The district was carved out of Karachi’s East district.

Before the 2018 elections, the areas falling within the jurisdiction of district Korangi were always known as the stronghold of the once-unified MQM since it had won all NA seats during previous general elections, sans the one held in 2002 when it lost one NA and one PA seat to the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H).

In the 2018 general elections the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) defeated the MQM-P candidates on two out of three NA seats with a narrow margin thanks to the now defunct Pak Sarzameen Party due to which its vote bank was divided. However, the MQM-P managed to retain one NA seat and five out of six provincial assembly seats in the district.

After the merger of PSP and MQM-P last year, it is widely believed that the MQM-P may stage a comeback in the Feb 8 general elections in Korangi as its main rival, the embattled PTI, is currently on a weak footing after it lost its electoral symbol ‘bat’ and currently facing difficulties in running an effective election campaign. The PTI’s candidates are contesting elections as independent aspirants.

In 2018 polls, PTI won two National Assembly seats with narrow margin against Muttahida which captured five of six PA seats in district

There are a total of 87 candidates on three NA seats and 210 aspirants on seven PA seats.

The population of the district stands at 3.12 million and total registered voters are 1,512,026 including 828,134 male and 683,892 female voters.

NA-232 Korangi-I

The first constituency in Korangi district and the fourth one in Karachi division is NA-232, which was numbered as NA-239 in the previous general election.

It comprises areas of Model Colony, Kala Board, Malir Halt, Khokhrapar, Jamia Millia, Green Town, Natha Khan, Punjab Town, Shah Faisal Colony and Al-Falah.

The total population of the constituency is 1,083,685 and registered voters are 594,131 including 315,376 male and 278,755 female.

Prominent among 38 candidates area MQM-P’s Asiya Ishaq Siddiqui, PTI-backed independent candidate Adeel Ahmed, Mohammed Yaseen of Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Muhammad Owais Siddiqui of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP-Noorani) and MQM-H’s Shoukatullah Farooqui.

The PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz did not field any candidate from this constituency.

In 2018, PTI’s Akram Cheema had won this seat with a narrow margin of around 350 votes against MQM-P’s Khawaja Sohail Mansoor.

MQM’s Iqbal Mohammad Ali Khan had won the seat in the 2013, 2008 and 2002 elections while Nishat Mallick of the same party had secured the same seat in the 1997 general elections.

NA-233

There are 29 aspirants on the NA-233 (previously NA-240) which comprises Bhutto Nagar, Babar Market, Landhi No 6, Madina Colony, Korangi 100 Quarters and Zaman Town.

The total population of the area is 1,031,170 and there are 548,061 registered voters, including 302,537 male and 245,524 female voters.

The MQM-P has fielded bureaucrat-turned-politician Jawed Hanif Khan, while Advocate Haris Meo is fielded by the PTI, PPP’s Nida Asim, PML-N’s Zain-ul-Abdin Ansari, Abdul Jamil Khan of JI, Syed Rafi Uddin of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement and the TLP’s Shahzada Shahbaz are in the run from this constituency.

The MQM-P won the seat in the 2018 general elections with a big margin of over 30,500 votes against TLP’s Mohammad Asif. The MQM’s Asif Hasnain had secured twice this seat for the party during 2008 and 2013 elections.

In the 1997 elections, it was clinched by MQM’s Mohammad Arif Khan, but in 2002 MQM-H’s Mahmooad Ahmed Qureshi had managed to win from this constituency.

NA-234

The NA-234 (Korangi-III) has largely been carved out from the old NA-241 and it is covering Mehran Town, Bilal Colony, Bagh-i-Korangi, Qayyumabad, Chakra Goth, Allah Wala Town, Nasir Colony, Korangi Crossing, Korangi 33-D & 33-C and Korangi No1.

The overall population of the area stands at 1,014,116 with 369,230 registered voters, including 210,021 male and 159,009 females.

There are a total of 20 candidates including MQM-P’s Mohammad Moin Aamer Pirzada, PTI-backed former MNA Faheem Khan, PML-N’s Saleem Zia, Mohammad Ali Rashid of the PPP, MQM-H’s Muhammad Sadiq and Abdul Sattar of TLP.

PTI’s Faheem Khan won the seat in the last general elections with a margin of over 4,500 votes against MQM-P’s Aamer Moin.

MQM’s Mohammad Ali Rashid, who is now contesting on PPP’s ticketm was declared successful in the 2013 polls and Ayub Shaikh had retained the seat for the MQM in 2008 while Nawab Mirza and Arif Khan had won the same seat for the party in 2002 and 1997 general elections, respectively.

Seven PA seats

There are seven provincial assembly seats (PS-90 to PS-96) in the Korangi district.

PS-90 (Korangi-I) is covering Model Colony, Kala Board, Malir Halt and Khokhrapar with total 257,853 registered voters.

A total of 31 candidates are contesting from here, including MQM-P’s Shariq Jamal, PTI-backed Waqas Iqbal, Shabnam Nasir of PPP, Kashif Ali Khan of TLP, Mian Iqbal Tahir of PML-N, Khurram Masood of MQM-H and JI’s Wasim Mirza.

Muhammad Abu Bakar of MQM-P, Sheikh Jamil of MQM-H, PTI-supported Hammad Hussain, Rehman Waheed Bajwa of PPP and Aftab Khan of TLP are among 31 aspirants running for the PS-91 (Korangi-II).

Jamia Millia, Green Town, Natha Khan, Punjab Town and Al-Falah are parts of PS-91. There are a total of 231,374 registered voters in the constituency.

The PS-92 (Korangi-III) comprises Bhutto Nagar, Babar market, Landhi No6 and Zaman Town with registered voters of 288,932.

There are 23 aspirants in the constituency including Arsalan Ahmed of MQM-P, JI’s Mirza Farhan Haig, PTI supported Wajid Hussain Shah, Nighat Fatim of MQM-H and Muhammad Rafiq of PPP.

The PS-93 (Korangi-IV) has 189,461 voters and it comprises Madina Colony, Korangi 100 Quarters and Raheemabad. MQM-P’s Yasiruddin, PTI-backed Sajid Hussain, PPP’s Javed Shaikh, Hasnain Ali of MQM-H, PML-N’s Shams-ur-Rehman, JI’s Abdul Hafeez and Waqas Ali of TLP are among 28 contenders vying from the constituency.

The PS-94 (Korangi-V) has 24 aspirants, including MQM-P’s Najam Mirza, PPP’s Imran Siddiqui, PTI supported Abdul Qadir, Noor Hameed of MQM-H, TLP’s Mohammad Qasim and JI’s Arshad Hussain.

Korangi 33-D and 33-C and Korangi No1 are the parts of PS-94 and it has 236,827 registered voters.

Shamshad Khan of MQM-P, cop-turned-politician Farooq Awan of PPP, PTI-backed Raja Azhar Khan, TLP’s Mohammad Hassan, PML-N’s Mohammad Ehsan and JI’s Mansoor Feroze are among 33 aspirants contesting from PS-95 (Korangi-VI).

The constituency comprises Qayyumabad, Chakra Goth, Allah Wala Town, Nasir Colony and Korangi Crossing and total registered voters are 125,964.

The PS-96 (Korangi-VII) is covering Mehran Town, Bilal Colony and Bagh-i-Korangi with registered voters of 181,615.

There are 41 contenders from the constituency, including MQM-P’s Shabbir Qaimkhani, PPP’s Sharjeel Humayun, PTI supported Mohammad Awais, JI’s Shafiq Ahmed, Ali Akbar of PML-N, Asim Hussain of MQM-H and TLP’s Waris Khan.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2024