PTI still hopeful of JI support as NA-246 by-poll nears

E-Paper | July 28, 2026

KARACHI: The NA-246 battleground is heating up as polling day nears, with major contenders revving up their rhetoric. But there still appears to be a standoff between the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) as both refuse to withdraw their candidates to favour the other.

JI chief Sirajul Haq on Friday predicted that Altaf Hussain will once again resign as head of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on April 23 (polling day), "but this time he will not reverse his decision".

Delivering a fiery speech at a JI women’s wing rally at Shahrah-e-Pakistan as part of his party's election campaign, Sirajul Haq said Karachi’s future will not be decided in London anymore; “the people of Karachi will decide their fate on the city’s streets.”

In an explicit onslaught directed at the MQM, the JI chairman said politics of fear and violence will soon cease to exist in Karachi. “People will reject violence and fear on April 23,” he said.

But as the JI prepares for a tough battle in a constituency considered an MQM bastion, the third major contender—Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) — still believes there are chances the JI will withdraw its candidate in its favour.

PTI leader Jehangir Tareen, while talking to DawnNews, clarified that PTI is a much bigger force than the JI in Karachi and will not withdraw its candidate in NA-246 by-poll.

Earlier, PTI Central Information Secretary Shireen Mazari on Friday said consultations with the JI are still underway and she expressed hope that the JI will cooperate with the PTI in the upcoming by-poll by withdrawing its candidate.

Talking to media personnel following PTI’s core committee meeting, Mazari said PTI’s campaign in the constituency was shaping up very well and the party had decided not to pull back its candidate in support of the JI.

But the JI had just a day ago reiterated it was not going to withdraw its candidate in any party’s favour for the NA-246 by-poll, rejecting speculation about their understanding with the PTI to this effect.

It is significant to note here that the PTI and the JI are coalition partners running the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, but have so far not been able to finalise an adjustment in Karachi, where both claim to have a fair chance of defeating heavyweight MQM.

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Asif

Apr 17, 2015 09:14pm

PTI has no hope of winning this seat. It's better they should withdraw in favour of JI as there are many who support JI in that area.

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Fawad

Apr 17, 2015 09:23pm

PTI shouldnt push too hard for JI to withdraw its candidate.. As long as majority of voters dont vote for MQM it would be a win for democracy.

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Ansar Ullah

Apr 17, 2015 09:23pm

JI should cooporate with PTI because Pti is the only party in the country which lives up to the expectation of the common people.

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Awais ali

Apr 17, 2015 09:36pm

Ji should support pti ji has vote bank but not winning vote bank but pti can win if ji support them.

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mohsin

Apr 17, 2015 09:40pm

Better for JI to withdraw his candidate so people can enjoy real match

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Ali

Apr 17, 2015 10:00pm

PTI, I think, will cruise through to victory in any election if the elections are held in fair and just manner in Pakistan. Imran Khan though needs to be a bit more reconsiliatory then he has been with PMLN, PPP, MQM and others. Imran has a potential of being a world class leader if he learns to respect adverse point of view without compromising his principles of equality and justice for all.

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Gerry dcunha

Apr 17, 2015 10:03pm

PTI and JI are both wasting their energy and time in contesting this by-election as MQM is surely going to win unless some underground incidence does not take place

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Fazal Karim

Apr 17, 2015 10:25pm

Since Jamat is not ready to withdraw its candidate, PTI should with draw its candidate in favor of Jamat.If MQM candidate is not defeated (which is most likely) Jamat will face blame. It will be good for future election.

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Mohsin

Apr 17, 2015 10:36pm

Jamaat still exists in Karachi? Where?

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Yusuf

Apr 17, 2015 10:42pm

The issue is Jamaat e Islami type of parties do not appeal to mass population because you have to look a certain way to be accepted, which you can see in the crowd, which will not unite the country like Pakistan which is very diverse...unlike PTI where people from all walks of life support it, rich or poor, Sindhi or Pashtun, devout or lapsed, conservative or liberal, PTI has support from all.

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Sab Se Pehle Pakistan

Apr 17, 2015 10:52pm

Why PTI is so dependent on JIs support? What about the claims that entire Karachi is with PTI? The truth is that all parties combined cannot defeat MQM in NA 246 if free and fair elections are held without interference of the third umpire.

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Khan

Apr 17, 2015 10:52pm

How about both both JI and MQM should widraw in favor of PTI so that democracy, establishment, agecies ,democracy and PTI win , only MQM and people of Karachi loose. Fair enough .

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Junaid

Apr 17, 2015 11:11pm

I am Mohajir, I will vote for MQM.

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Khan

Apr 17, 2015 11:29pm

@Junaid I totally agree with you as the percentage of Muhajir is almost 90% and atleast 90 % of those will vote for MQM. PTI is trying to bring storm in a tea cup. JI knows it very well but will not let PTI increase its share or take JI voters which is devasting for JI in long run.

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Sajida Perween

Apr 17, 2015 11:41pm

JI and PTI has same policies. People have been rejecting JI for long time and reult will be no different this time althogh they will secure 2nd position and PTI is only dependent on establishment's role.

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Kashif Bihari

Apr 17, 2015 11:49pm

I think now Mohajirs are not going back to MQM. I am from NA 246 and just close to NINE ZERO, i have no doubt that JI or PTI will come first or second and MQM will be 3rd in votes. MQM will again wait for 1,80,000 FARISTAY to vote as they are in jail. Truly speaking there are chances that JI will come first and PTI 2nd as Karachi needs strong, diehard party which could face MQM in its core and probably JI can do it.

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Khan

Apr 17, 2015 11:56pm

Everybody is hopeful of winning this NA 246 by -election except who is not hopeful but is going to win this election.

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saqib

Apr 17, 2015 11:59pm

PTI helped JI in the Senate election. Time for JI to step aside and fight together and make adjustments in local election to compensate JI. Surely you can see if you both stand MQM is sure to win.

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Javid

Apr 18, 2015 12:01am

PTI or Ji will not withdraw its candidates.They cannot win they just want to test there vote bank.

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shahan

Apr 18, 2015 12:14am

@Fawad "majority of voters dont vote for MQM ...it will be a win for democracy " do you wven understand the meaning of democracy?

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Khalid Khan, USA

Apr 18, 2015 12:47am

@Junaid YES

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Ish

Apr 18, 2015 02:17am

@Ali World class leader! Really? Imran Khan can only arouse sentiments and hopes of ignorant Pakistanis. He has no concrete solution for the problems of Pakistani nation. No one does in amongst the visible political lot.

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Akber

Apr 18, 2015 02:24am

Not sure what JI and PTI are thinking.Forget winning this seat, both of them combine will not get even half of what MQM will get.

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Muhammad

Apr 18, 2015 02:28am

@Junaid Is it fair in your judgment based on previous track record of MQM that you would still vote for MQN since you are Muhajir.. This is the issue at the grass root level when people forget to recognize that we are all Pakistanis & unless we don't unite & come strong we will never defeat the real enemy..

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Syed Ali

Apr 18, 2015 02:55am

JI can serve better by collecting hides; political parties like JI should be disbanded for their militancy and poor showing in each and every election.

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Syed Ali

Apr 18, 2015 03:01am

Every mohajir should vote for MQM......

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Zaheer

Apr 18, 2015 03:31am

Ofcourse,JI wil withdraw in favour of PTI , but first they will show its power and build the vote bank . It is part of a strategy.

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Mustafa

Apr 18, 2015 04:57am

@Fawad; "As long as majority of voters dont vote for MQM it would be a win for democracy." As long as voters vote freely it would be a win for democracy. All three parties have painted themselves into a corner by taking extreme and hyperbolic positions. If MQM doesn't garnes 2/3rd of the vote it would prove the allegations of rigging earlier. IF PTI and JI together don't garner 2/3rd of the vote it would prove that their protracted campaign against MQM was a pack of deliberate lies.

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Mustafa

Apr 18, 2015 04:59am

@Ali; "PTI, I think, will cruise through to victory in any election if the elections are held in fair and just manner in Pakistan." If you define fairness as PTI's vivtory that would certainly be true, otherwise wait for the elections.

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Mustafa

Apr 18, 2015 05:01am

JI should withdraw because JI voters are more disciplined and would vote for PTI if their party tells them to do so.

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Dilectus

Apr 18, 2015 05:04am

My forefathers migrated from but now I am Pakistani and would never vote for ethnic party like MQM.

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Mustafa

Apr 18, 2015 05:59am

@Gerry dcunha; "wasting their energy and time in contesting this by-election as MQM is surely going to win" Even so, if the two parties together secure over 30% votes it would carry significant symbolic value and lend credence to 'atmosphere of fear' theory.

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Hamood

Apr 18, 2015 07:23am

Why would JI step down from such important by-election. Politically, it will be worse than losing the election itself. PTI should put their trust in their candidate and hope that people of Karachi will choose the right person.

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Imtiaz

Apr 18, 2015 07:34am

PTI and MQM are secular parties. I think it will be advisable for JI to withdraw and there be fight between two secular parties.

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zafar

Apr 18, 2015 09:02am

The law in pk does not make sense in a democracy that a member is forced to resign because of disagreement with party. Democracy us freedom to say what one believes is right, not what leadership believes us right. In my opinion this rule us mother of all problems with democracy in Pakistan.

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yawar

Apr 18, 2015 09:07am

the dilemma ... our nation doesnt recognise the agenda of a particular political party, instead it votes on the criterion of ethenticity ... i am a muhajir and vote for mqm, i am a sindhi and vote for ppp, i am a punjabi and vote pmln

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yawar

Apr 18, 2015 09:09am

JI got good support from NA 246

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Waqas

Apr 18, 2015 09:49am

@Junaid U r a pakistani.. U shud vote for whoever serves this country and its nation best.. Get out of this muhajir, punjabi pathan baloch victimization and descrimination.. We r all pakistaniz..

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