KARACHI, Sept 25: In all, nine candidates are in the run for a seat in the national assembly from NA-244, a constituency which has been drawn out of a defunct constituency of the former district central of Karachi, i.e. NA-188.
NA-188, which remained the largest constituency of the country till 1997, has now been bifurcated for the creation of at least two national assembly constituencies for the coming general election.
The newly designed constituency (NA 244) has 236461 registered voters, including 108542 female voters. In the previous constituency there were 388548 registered voters in the 1997 elections, 344355 in 1993, 332029 in 1990 and 292265 in the 1988 elections.
NA-244 includes voters residing in Federal B Area (blocks 17, 19, 21 and parts of blocks 16, 18, 20 and 22), North Karachi (sectors 11, 12, 12-B, 12-C, 11-L, 11-I, parts of 11-F part and 11-D, Katchi abadi along nala, 11-E, parts of 11-J, 11-H, 15-B and Bengalipara New Karachi, and sectors 15-A/1, 15 A-2, 15-A/4, 15-A/3, 15-A/5 and 16-A, Buffer zone and KBR Colony.
The constituency comprises largely literate and middle-income group people, mostly Urdu speaking, Punjabi, Pakhtoon, Memon, Kutchi, Sindhi and Bengali. The population, other than the Urdu speaking, is residing in small pockets or urban slums adjacent to regular residential and commercial areas.
The main contenders in the 2002 elections are the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), the PML-N and the PPP. The candidates given tickets by the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA), the Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf (PTI) and the Sindh Democratic Alliance (SDA), who have no obvious reason to contest in the constituency, are also being taken as dark horses.
In view of the impressive track record of the Muttahida, the constituency is considered a stronghold of the party. Under the strict code of conduct, the Muttahida activists, like many others, are not in any upbeat electioneering mood, There is little possibility of any of Muttahida’s opponents posing a serious threat to its candidates.
The Muttahida may find its vote bank a little bit reduced though, as by boycotting the local bodies elections last year, the party surely damaged the confidence of its followers and voters.
In the 1985 non-party elections, late Shah Baleeghuddin was elected from NA-188 with 38,202 votes, while in the next elections (1988) held on party basis the then MQM (now Muttahida), decided to support independent candidates. Syed Muhammad Aslam was returned for polling a maximum of 131,012 votes.
In the next elections, held in 1990, Syed Muhammad Aslam, contesting under the banner of the MQM managed another remarkable victory as he was elected with 142,591 votes. The victory is considered a record in the history of Pakistan’s polling. Muhammad Usman Ramz of the Jamaat-i-Islami was the close rival of Aslam in the elections of 1988 (18257 votes) and 1990 (12410).
The MQM boycotted the 1993 elections. Muzaffar Hashmi of the JI, contesting as a Pakistan Islamic Front candidate, managed a victory by polling 12235 votes.
In the 1997 elections, ten candidates, including those of the PPP, the MQM, the PTI, and the PML-N which had also entered into a poll adjustment agreement with the then TNFJ, contested. The MQM candidate, Hasan Masna Alvi, who was on a parole after years of confinement, won the show, but was not able to poll like Muhammad Aslam. Out of a total 388,584 votes of the constituency, the party got 105323 votes, which was not in line with its pass achievements in the constituency; the percentage of MQM votes had declined in 1997 elections. On the other hand an increase was witnessed in the number of votes gained by the PML-N candidate, Muhammad Anwar.
Interviews with common people in the constituency indicated that After having suffered a lot socially and economically during the politics of agitation and isolation, now the people of the constituency desperately want to get the image of their constituency and town reshaped.
The candidates for the 2002 election in the NA-244 constituency are: Syed Shahanshah Ali Jafferi (PPP), Riffat Jabeen (PML-N), Amir Jamaat-i- Islami Karachi Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui (MMA), Khalid Masood Khan (PTI), Abdul Waheed Qureshi (MQM-H), Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi (Muttahida), Saqib Ishtiaq (ST), former federal minister Javed Jabbar (NA), and Muhammad Idrees (PMA).
Local political pundits are optimistic that the turnover of voters in NA-244 will be remarkable. They refer to the present government’s efforts to reduce political polarization. They say the larger the turnout of voters the maximum the chances of change in the voting pattern.
However, a shopkeeper in New Karachi remarked that economically depressed people had nothing to do with the outcome of the elections. “Do you see any sentiments there. Jubilation and enthusiasm are not generated through empty stomachs”, he said.
A Muttahida activist, standing against the background of the party’s tricolour kite said that it was understood that another hung parliament was in the offing and as such his party’s role as “king maker” could not be ruled out.
A JI worker said that his party had a proven record of serving the people judiciously right from the grassroots level and that was why he was sure that the MMA would be given a chance this time. It is also said that the PML-N and the MMA will be direct contenders for votes in the labour colonies, Katchi abadis and other pockets of ethnic minorities in the constituency.
In the meantime, electioneering has started getting momentum in the constituency and a number of flags, banners and colourful hoardings of different parties can be seen around the main traffic intersections and on major streets. Corner meetings are also being held.
The NA-244 constituency encompasses to provincial assembly constituencies (PS-100 and PS-102). The registered candidates for the provincial assembly constituencies are as follows:
PS-100; Abdul Baqi (lock), Abdul Quddus(arrow), Arif Hussain Hashmi(car), Khalid Mumtaz Advocate(tractor), Mohammad Adil Siddiqui (kite), Mohammad Saleem (dove), Mohammad Shafi(table lamp), Razia majid (bat), Salahuddin (telephone) and Sheikh Farrukh Hussain(helicopter).
PS-102: Adeeb Ahmad Siddiqui (candle), Aftab Ahmad(jug), Imammuddin (kite), Khawaja Aijaz Ahmad (arrow), Mehmood Ali Qureshi(tiger), Muhammad Anwar Azim Khan (bicycle), Muhammad Ayub (table lamp), Siddiq Raza Jarchvi (bat), Sakina Khatoon Rizvi(teapot), Sarfraz (tractor), Sohail Qadeer Abbasi(ring), Syed Mohammad Amir (pen), Syed Mohammad Iqbal (book) and Syed Mohammad Mashooq (coat).
KARACHI, Sept 25: In all, nine candidates are in the run for a seat in the national assembly from NA-244, a constituency which has been drawn out of a defunct constituency of the former district central of Karachi, i.e. NA-188.
