-Unofficial results of NA-249
From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: Polling for the by-election for National Assembly constituency NA-249- Karachi West-II concluded on Thursday as results have started to pour in.
The polling started at 8 am and continued till 5 pm without any break. Sindh’s government has announced a public holiday, today (Thursday) in NA-249 Karachi constituency due to a by-election.
According to unofficial and unconfirmed results of 72 polling stations, PML-N’s Miftah Ismail was in the lead with 6324 votes against PPP’s Qadir Mandokhail who acquired 4123 votes.
However, PSP candidate Mustafa Kamal secured 2734 votes, banned TLP’s Mufti Nazeer 2427 votes, PTI candidate Amjad Afridi secured 1445 votes and MQM-P’s Hafiz Mursaleen bagged 1323 votes, according to unofficial results of 72 polling stations out of 273.
According to the first unofficial result obtained by ARY NEWS from polling station 215, PML-N’s Miftah Ismail secured 68 votes followed by outlawed TLP’s Mufti Nazir who bagged 39 votes.
At polling station Number 90, PTI’s Amjad Afridi secured 73 votes followed by Miftah Ismail’s 29 votes.
Amjad Afridi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Miftah Ismail of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Qadir Khan Madokhaill of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Mustafa Kamal of Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), and Mohammad Mursaleen of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) are among the 30 candidates taking part in the election in the constituency. The number of registered voters in the constituency is 339,591 out of which 201,656 are male and 137,935 are female voters who will exercise their right of the vote today. The NA-249 seat had fallen vacant after Faisal Vawda of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) resigned from the National Assembly for his Senate seat.
The election commission officials on Thursday ordered six MPAs of the PTI to leave NA-249 constituency over violation of the code of conduct during the by-election.
The election officials served notices to PTI members of Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Saeed Afridi, Bilal Ghaffar, Raja Azhar, Shahnawaz Jadoon and Shahzad Awan to leave the constituency. The election commission officials also directed the PML-N MNA Kheal Das Kohistani to quit the constituency.
According to the election code of conduct, a public office holder could not visit a constituency during the election. Moreover, The counting process for the NA-249 by-election in Karachi began on Thursday as a tough contest was expected among major parties vying for the seat in one of the city’s most ethnically diverse constituencies.
According to media reporters, the voter turnout remained disappointingly low in most polling stations across the constituency, despite the hype created around the election for the past few weeks. The polling was held amid tight security under the supervision of 2,800 policemen and 1,100 Rangers personnel while shooters were also deployed around sensitive polling stations.
Tension was reported at some polling stations as workers of rival parties exchanged heated arguments with each other, according to officials. “The situation was very tense and contesting parties were very charged but police and other LEAs managed to keep the situation cool,” said Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon.
He added, “We tried to implement a zero-tolerance policy especially for display or use of force.” Witnesses said that tension and chaos were reported at polling stations 142 and 143 in Saeedabad where workers of MQM-P and PSP clashed. NA-249, Karachi West II, was created in 2018 by amalgamating areas that previously fell in two NA constituencies (NA-239 and NA-240) during three general elections held from 2002 to 2013.
The seat had fallen vacant after PTI’s Faisal Vawda resigned over his dual nationality controversy and became a senator. According to reports, 276 polling stations comprising 796 polling booths have been established in the constituency. The voting process, which began at 8am, continued till 5pm without any break.
A tough contest is expected among the candidates of major political parties contesting the by-election. Prominent candidates in the run are PML-N’s Miftah Ismail, Pak Sarzameen Party chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal, PTI’s Amjad Afridi, PPP’s Qadir Khan Mandokhail, MQM-P’s Mohammad Mursaleen and TLP’s Mufti Nazeer Ahmed Kamalvi.
In two separate letters, District Returning officer Syed Nadeem Haider directed law enforcement agencies to expel PTI’s Firdous Shamim Naqvi and Bilal Ghaffar from the constituency till the culmination of the polling process.
“The supra member of the provincial assembly is visiting the constituency, along with workers, and creating inconvenience for voters,” the letters said.
“Further, it may also be ensured that no any sitting MNAs/MPAs/senators/ministers and other public office bearers from any group or party may not be allowed to visit area falling under the territorial jurisdiction of NA-249 Karachi where the poll process is being held,” they said. In addition, PPP Central Election Cell In charge Taj Haider wrote to the chief election commissioner, claiming that around 50 voters were not being allowed to cast their ballots at the Polling Station A-1 School.
“This is a combined polling station. However, male voters are not being allowed. You are requested to kindly take notice and do the needful under the law,” he said in the letter. On the other hand, PTI candidate Afridi claimed that there had been ‘police-gardi’ in the area, regretting that the ECP was not taking notice. Afridi said the PTI received complaints at different polling stations that their voters were being prevented from casting votes. “Police worked as representative of the PPP’s candidate in the constituency,” he claimed, adding that the police were allegedly harassing voters.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that all surveys had shown the PTI to be ahead of all other parties in the Karachi by-poll, adding that it would be the PTI’s day.
In a statement, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif appealed to the people of the constituency to step out of their homes and exercise their “constitutional and democratic” right to vote. He said that by exercising their right to vote, citizens could elect competent representatives that would fulfill the promises made to the people.
He assured those that cast their votes for Nawaz Sharif, Miftah Ismail or the PML-N that their basic issues would be resolved.
“I am confident that you will make the right decision, as you did in the past, and will play your part in helping to deal with the myriad of problems plaguing the country,” he said. He also urged caution in light of the current coronavirus situation, and told voters to wear a face mask.
