KARACHI, Sept 19: NA-248 (previously NA-189) in former district South mainly comprises areas of 11 union councils in Lyari Town.

The UCs in NA-248 are: Agra Taj Colony, Darayabad, Nawabad, Khadda Memon Society, Baghdadi, Shah Beg Lane, Bihar Colony, Rangiwara, Singoo Lane, Chawkiwara and Allama Iqbal Colony.

Its population consists of different linguistic, cultural and ethnic communities, such as Balochs, Sindhis, Lasis, Katchis, Memons who are the old residents.

Other linguistic and ethnic groups are Punjabis, Pathans, Niazis and Hazarawalas who are settled in the locality since late 60s. The locality has also a small section of population of Mohajirs who migrated from India after the creation of Pakistan.

Till late 60s, the politics of the locality had been dominated by the Pakistan Muslim League, religious parties and Baloch nationalists who were influenced by Baloch national movement of Balochistan.

However, the popular upsurge in the 1970s changed the electoral politics of the area when the PPP, headed by late Z.A Bhutto, emerged as an unchallengable political force by securing all the seats from this constituency.

This is the seat in Karachi city which the PPP retains after every successive elections and is known as one of its safest seats.

In 1988, PPP co-chairperson Benazir was returned from here with 62,046 votes. Her nearest rival was IJI’s Jamshed Ahmed Khan with 10,731 votes.

The MQM’s Mohammad Rafiq Essani (6,598) votes and nationalist PNP’s Haji Yunis Baloch (5,360) were other candidates who tried to swim against the popular tide. The total number of registered votes were 1,98,604, while the percentage of total votes cast was 46.06.

In the 1990 elections, Ms Bhutto’s husband Asif Ali Zardari was the PDA candidate from here. He also won the polls with a big margin by securing 54,308 votes against IJI’s Mohammad Yusuf Baloch (12,615) and the MQM’s Liaquat (2,125).

The total number of registered votes were 2,00,335 and percentage of votes cast was 36.44 per cent.

However, negative trends appeared in the 1993 elections when PPP’s Waja Ahmed Karimdad got 38,849 votes, PML’s Mohammad Yunis Baloch (18,996) and late Mir Murtaza Bhutto (4,108). The registered voters were 204,785 and the percentage of votes cast was 32.34.

In the 1997 elections, although PPP’s Waja Ahmed Karimdad once again returned but only with a narrow margin of 338 votes by defeating his nearest rival of PML-Nawaz Mama Yunis Baloch. Waja Karimdad secured 23,125 votes while Mama Yunis Baloch got 22,787 votes.

But today the situation is different because of emergence of new forces in the electoral field—the SDA, the Muttahida Quami Movement, PPP-SB, Muttahida Majlis Amal and Sunni Tehrik.

There are 13 candidates contesting on this seat: PPP’s Nabil Gabol, PML-Nawaz’s Sheikh Masood Ahmed, SDA’s Professor Ali Mohammad Shaheen, PPP (SB) Imtiaz Ali Advocate, Muttahida Majlis Amal’s Dr Qari Naseeruddin, MQM’s Capt Sorab Nizamani and Sunni Tehrik’s Abdul Karim Naqshbandi.

Other candidates in the race are: Haji Mohammad Hanif Tayyab, Mohammad Ashfaq, Malik Mohammad Fayyaz, Chaudhry Mohammad Misbahuzzaman, Syed Azam Ali Shah and Khalid Ayaz.

Apparently, the PPP seems to have a clear edge despite the fact that dents have appeared in its vote-bank in the last two elections.

But in the past elections, the battle-line was clearly drawn between the PPP and a combined anti-PPP alliance, comprising PML- Nawaz, nationalists and religious forces.

Despite all its shortcoming, the PPP is in an advantageous position this time because anti-PPP forces — both secular and religious — are divided and are fighting separately on their party symbols.

There is every possibility that new dents will appear in the traditional vote banks of the party in predominately Baloch-Sindhi-Katchi and Lassi areas.

However, a triangular contest is expected between the PPP, the MQM and the SDA.

PS: The NA-248 constituency has two provincial assembly seats: PS-108 and PS-109.

PS-109 comprises largely Balochs, Sindhis, Lassis and Katchis. There are also small ethnic groups, such as Punjabi and Urdu- speaking.

A total of 13 candidates are vying for this seat: They include Advocate Mohammad Rafiq Engineer (PPP), Abid Husain Brohi (SDA), Faisal Jamal Dashti (PML-Nawaz), Mohammad Aslam Bhutto (MQM), Dost Mohammed Danish, Khurram Maqsood advocate, Mohammad Naseem advocate (PPP-SB), Tariq Husain Malik, Mohammad Anwar Baloch (PML-Q), Zahid Ali, Abdul Karim Naqshbandi (ST), Abdul Rahim Baloch, Mohammad Naeem (MMA) and Abdul Rahim Baloch.

It is also traditional seat which the PPP had retained since 197O, but a triangular fight is expected on this seat between the PPP, the SDA and the PML-Nawaz.

PS-108 is a multi-linguistic constituency comprising Katchi, Memon, Niazis, Sindhis, Mohajirs and Punjabi communities.

In the 1997 polls, the PPP received a great setback when its candidate Karim Jat was defeated by the PML candidate Farooq Awan. Mr Awan secured 7,796 votes while Mr Jat got 7,352 votes.

There are 15 candidates contesting on this seat. They are Jan Mohammad (SDA), Ismail Ahmed (PML-Q), Aslam Khan (PML-Nawaz), Mohammad Saleem Khan Hingoro (PPP), Syed Mehr Shah (MMA), Ahmad Baloch (MQM), Sohail Barakati (Sunni Tehrik), Abdul Qadir Hingoro (PPP-SB), Tajuddin Siddiqui, Salam Mir Khan Niazi, Mohammad Hassan Mundra, Syed Shakir Ali, Imtiaz Ali Samoo advocate, Abdul Aziz comrade and Mohammad Hassan Hingoro and

A tough contest is expected between the PPP, PPP-SB, MMA and the MQM on this seat.