KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Saturday expressed confidence that his party will win the April 23 by-election in the city's NA-246 constituency with a big margin.

Addressing a public rally in Liaquatabad area via telephone from London, he said that the party's graph among masses has not dropped but a marked surge in its popularity could be witnessed through presence of people pertaining to all age groups and walks of life in the gathering.

Urging people to maintain discipline in their ranks, he said the MQM was a liberal and progressive party that was challenged by parties that have a “peculiar agenda” contrary to the principles of his party.

Also read: I witnessed poll rigging in NA-246: Nabeel Gabol

Altaf Hussain said people of Liaquatabad and Federal B Area, which constitute areas covered under NA-246 constituency, have already made open their choice and April 23 would be a day when previous records of vote cast shall be broken.

Also read: ECP to hold by-polls in NA-246 under Rangers' supervision

He hoped that people from all walks of life would vote for MQM's candidate Kunwar Naveed Jameel in the by-poll. Kunwar Naveed and members of MQM coordination committee, including Dr. Farooq Sattar, Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, also spoke on the occasion.

The NA-246 constituency, which lies in Karachi's Azizabad area, was left vacant last month after then Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmaker Nabeel Gabol resigned from his seat.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has repeatedly demanded Rangers deployment, showing concerns over security situation and transparent election without the Rangers presence.

Kunwar Naveed Jameel, the MQM candidate from the constituency, had recently told the media that his party would not have any objection to the deployment of troops for fair and free elections.

However, the Jamaat-i-Islami has expressed concern over the deployment of local body employees as polling staff most of whom the party said were associated with a particular party.

With the MQM currently facing an existential crisis in the face of the action by the law enforcement agencies against the party’s alleged ‘militant wings,’ Imran Khan’s centre-right, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), has enthusiastically jumped in to challenge the MQM in its most secure backyard.