KARACHI, Feb 17: In what appears to be an election-specific alliance against the Pakistan People’s Party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Jamiat Ulema Islam, which is contesting the election from the platform of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, have entered into a seat adjustment agreement on four national and five provincial assembly seats in Karachi.
The electoral deal was unfolded at a joint press conference of the two parties held here at a local hotel late on Saturday night. MQM leaders Babar Khan Ghauri, Adil Siddiqui and Waseem Aftab and JUI Karachi leaders Aslam Ghauri, Maulana Hammadullah Shah and Haji Azizullah were present.
The seat adjustment accord pertains to NA-239 (Keamari), NA-240 (Baldia Town), NA-248 (Lyari), and NA-258 (Malir, Bin Qasim and Gadap towns). The provincial assembly seats where both parties have agreed to support each other are PS-129, PS-130, PS-89, PS-102 and PS-115.
Well-placed sources told Dawn that the PPP decision about its support to Irfanullah Marwat against the MQM candidate compelled the MQM to join hands with the JUI to form an anti-PPP election-specific alliance hours before polling day. Mr Marwat is contesting the election as an independent candidate against MQM’s Rauf Siddiqui in PS-114.
The MQM announced withdrawal of its candidates from two national assembly seats in favour of MMA’s candidates which was reciprocated by the JUI-led MMA by announcing the retirement of its contestants from two other national assembly seats in favour of MQM’s candidates. However, the MMA left three provincial seats to gain MQM’s support for its candidates on two seats.
NA seats
The MQM announced its support for MMA’s candidates Qari Mohammad Usman and Saleemullah Khan Turk who are contesting the elections on NA-239 and NA-258 respectively and withdrew candidates S.K. Mujahid Baloch and Nisar Ahmed Shar from the race. The MQM had lost both seats in the previous election.
From the NA-239 (Keamari) constituency, MMA’s Qari Gul Rehman won the seat by securing 22,164 votes against the PPP candidate who got 21,461 votes while MQM candidate Ashiq Hussain Qureshi secured 11,199 votes in the 2002 general election.
From the NA-258 (Malir, Bin Qasim and Gadap towns) constituency, PPP’s Sher Mohammad Baloch won the seat by obtaining 38,225 votes against the MMA candidate who got 17,630 votes while the MQM candidate secured 8,400 votes in the last election.
In return, the JUI-led MMA announced retirement of its candidates from NA-240 and NA-248 in favour of MQM’s Khwaja Sohail Mansoor and Waseeullah Lakho. Though the MQM had won NA-240 seat in the last general election, it lost NA-248 seat from where PPP’s Nabeel Gabol had returned successful.
From the NA-240 (Baldia) constituency, the MQM candidate won the seat by obtaining 30,408 votes against the MMA candidate who bagged 22,764 votes while 15,374 votes were secured by the PPP candidate.
From the NA-248 (Lyari) constituency, the PPP won the seat with 32,424 votes against the MMA candidate who secured 14,700 votes and the MQM candidate who got 4,825 votes in the previous general election.
PA seats
The MQM also withdrew two candidates Gul Mohammad Mengal and Yousuf Muneer Shaikh from PS-129 and PS-130 in favour of MMA’s Maulana Mohammad Ghayas and Muhammad Akram Shah respectively. The MQM had lost both seats in the previous election.
The PS-129 seat was won by an independent candidate Mahmood Alam Jamot who got 12,061 votes against the MMA candidate who got 10,318 votes, the PPP contestant who bagged 8,240 votes and the MQM candidate who secured 6,741 votes in the 2002 election.
From the PS-130 constituency, the PPP candidate secured 25,977 votes against the MMA and MQM candidates who got 3,802 votes and 2,849 votes, respectively.
In return, the MMA announced retirement of its candidates on PS-89, PS-102 and PS-115 in favour of MQM’s Shaikh Mohammad Feroz, Imamuddin Shahzad and Mohammad Raza Haroon, respectively. None of the seats was won by the MMA. The MQM had won PS-102 and PS-115 in the previous general election but lost PS-89 which was won by PPP’s Akhtar Jadoon.
From PS-89 constituency, PPP candidate Akhtar Jadoon secured 10,381 votes against the MMA’s candidate who bagged 9,057 votes and the MQM candidate who got 2,644 votes.
The MQM sources insisted that the adjustment was taken place with the JUI and not with the MMA.
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