Karachi's NA-246 by-poll: A three-way contest

E-Paper | June 15, 2026

KARACHI: The final list of 15 candidates for the by-election in Karachi's NA-246 constituency was released by the Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday.

The list includes four candidates, one each from the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Pasban. The remaining names in the list are independent candidates.

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

The polls, scheduled to be held on April 23, are expected to be a three-way contest between PTI's Imran Ismail, MQM's Kanwar Naveed Jamil and JI's Rashid Naseem.

Kanwar Naveed Jamil

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N), Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan Mulsim League - Functional (PML-F) have decided not to field their candidates.

MQM chief Altaf Hussain had announced the nomination of former Hyderabad nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil as the party's candidate for NA-246, which is considered a bastion of the party.

Kanwar Jamil has also remained member of the national and provincial assemblies.

Imran Ismail

PTI has fielded one of its founding members Imran Ismail as its candidate for the seat. Born in Karachi in 1966, Mr Ismail received initial education from Cantt Public School. He graduated from National College and then received higher education in leather and chemical technology from Italy and the US.

Ismail started his career as a volunteer for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust in 1992 and later played an important role in collection of funds for the trust by organising a mega campaign.

Amir Rashid Naseem

JI has fielded its Sindh Naib Amir Rashid Naseem as the party's candidate for the April 23 by-poll. Naseem was also one of the candidates in the May 11, 2013 general elections.

The National Assembly constituency in Azizabad (NA-246) on Tuesday become a battleground for PTI and MQM, when a PTI delegation led by its candidate came under attack at the Jinnah Ground. The ground is planned to be the venue for PTI's April 19 rally.

The MQM later alleged that the situation arose after banners of party chief Altaf Hussain were torn up and the party's martyrs' memorial was desecrated.

Given below is a copy of the final list of candidates issued by the ECP.

Aslam Shah (ind)
Ashraf Ali Qureshi (ind)
M Mahfooz Yar Khan (ind)
Perwaiz Ali (ind)
Hassan Pervaiz (ind)
Rashid Naseem (JI)
Syed Azhar Ul Hassan (ind)
Syed Usman Ali (ind)
Seema Zarin (ind)
Abdul Sattar Ansari (ind)
Usman Muazzam Siddiqui (Pasban)
Imran Ismail (PTI)
Kanwar Naveed Jamil (MQM)
Muhammad Ayub Khan (ind)
Muanum Zafar (ind)

— Image by author

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Awais Ali

Apr 02, 2015 04:27pm

IK,s entry in this constituency is itself commendable. Win or loss does not matter. But 1st time we will see at least election in Karachi as ECP itself said last time there was no election in Karachi in 2013.

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Dekh Magar Pyaar Se

Apr 02, 2015 04:30pm

Piece of cake for MQM

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rizwan

Apr 02, 2015 04:30pm

Good luck pti. Plz na-246 give your vote to pti in order to have peace in karachi

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SANDHU

Apr 02, 2015 04:31pm

If IK would be able to take just 30 to 40% votes from this constituency then would be huge victory of IK from the area where other parties except MQM could not even campaign since 1990.

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Gerry dcunha

Apr 02, 2015 04:35pm

The power fight only to enter the assembly and hold status quo not to solve the problems of the area they are elected

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Usama

Apr 02, 2015 04:45pm

Thats my constituency and even if rangers are deployed in the region, MQM may JUST edge PTI here as its their base.. Good luck PTI.. Please make an effective campaign so at least people turn out to caste their vote to u people

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noor

Apr 02, 2015 04:45pm

Jamat is going to playing a spoiler's role, if they not withdraw their candidate in favor or #PTI's

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noor

Apr 02, 2015 04:46pm

this would not be a walk in the park for MQM, they have to win genuinely this time around, my prediction 60/40 MQM

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Abdulla Hussain

Apr 02, 2015 04:52pm

MQM will fretain its seat, I dont see a chance for others PTI will secure second position.

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Irfan

Apr 02, 2015 05:04pm

No contest. Prefilled ballot boxes will be brought in, MQM candidate will get 99,900votes

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Akyl

Apr 02, 2015 05:05pm

Gud luck PTI & JI :)

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Awais Ali

Apr 02, 2015 05:17pm

Test case for people of Karachi if they want peace and prosperity then they have to vote for new comer PTI otherwise barrier will remain in their streets

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Qazi

Apr 02, 2015 05:28pm

@Awais Ali We want barrier in our streets.

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SAB SE PEHLE PAKISTAN

Apr 02, 2015 05:30pm

People of Karachi should give chance to new comer as previous party just divided them and did nothing for Karachi which worse city in law and order.

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chaudhary

Apr 02, 2015 05:39pm

All votes are yours, MQM.

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not surprised

Apr 02, 2015 05:48pm

as much as majority would ike for PTI to win this seat....seems difficult at this stage. ntionalist politics is dead...see what happend to ANP in NWFP..whihc is curently called KPK

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jaree

Apr 02, 2015 05:52pm

PTI all the way .

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Ahsan Faruqui

Apr 02, 2015 05:57pm

The above remarks from PTI supporters asking people of NA246 to vote for PTI or JI is so laughable.I am a voter of NA 246 . You people just donot the dynamics of Karachi . PTI can never win from here .We understand clearly what the establishment is doing by an one sided operation to impose Imran on us . You will find the local peoples answer loud and clear and that is the defeat of PTI .

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Capt C M Khan

Apr 02, 2015 06:04pm

This is democracy. Holding rally in Liaquat Bagh. We are Maturing.....still a long way to become tolerant.

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KHULIKITAB

Apr 02, 2015 06:08pm

Every one knows that the real contest is between MQM and PTI. JI, Pasban, and independent candidates are going to loose their deposits. JI, as usual is out to destroy this important by election.

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Hussain

Apr 02, 2015 06:23pm

The form says "bye-election" lol

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Asif

Apr 02, 2015 06:30pm

@Awais Ali If you want Sharia vote for Zia or it will be assumed that you don't want Sharia. Same mentality, right? No doubt there is a reason why PTI is never a good option for Karachi. Hopefully people will vote for either JI or MQM.

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Iqbal Khan

Apr 02, 2015 06:36pm

Please cast your vote to pti, as alternative not only for Karachi but for the rest of Pakistan.

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Junaid

Apr 02, 2015 06:51pm

PTI know that MQM will win this. This is Azizabad for crying out loud. This election holds a symbolic value for PTI and rest of the Karachi. Previously no one even dared to stand up against MQM especially from this area until PTI did. This is to show the people of Karachi that change can come. It will be interesting to see how much votes PTI gets or MQM loses. MQM will still win but by how much. The margin of victory for MQM will shape PTI's future strategy for Karachi.

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Mustafa

Apr 02, 2015 07:26pm

@SANDHU; "If IK would be able to take just 30 to 40% votes from this constituency then would be huge victory of IK " Since IK has been telling the world that MQM's vote are just fraud and terror, it is a time of reckoning for IK as well as MQM. IF IK and JI have been telling anywhere near the truth, MQM should not garner more than 30% votes.

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Mustafa

Apr 02, 2015 07:33pm

There should be an Army officer with at least a couple of Army jawans at every polling booth. Among the big three the loser parties should be banned from politics, not because of losing but because they have been proved to be fraudulent.

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Sandhu

Apr 02, 2015 07:57pm

@Qazi Yes keep barrier and keep voting for that party. That is why Karachi is in that form where we always pray for our lives in each coming day.

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F Ahmed

Apr 02, 2015 08:01pm

@Hussain A by-election (also spelled as "bye-election"), also known as a special election, is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between ...

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F Ahmed

Apr 02, 2015 08:03pm

It is good to see MQM feeling the pressure in their so called "bastion" although it represents a particular ethnic group in Karachi which is great for democracy it has failed in the last 15 years since its been in power. Its time for a change. I don't support PTI but bringing about a change is more important.

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Rehan Mallick

Apr 02, 2015 08:24pm

Does anyone know what was the result of previous election in this constituency in terms of votes gained by each party ... I think PTI has got more than 20% of votes and were stood second after MQM...If they even get more than what they got last time, i will consider that as a vistory fot them

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True Pakistani

Apr 02, 2015 08:35pm

If it is alleged that "first" PTI provoked the residents "then" the residents responded, and PTI has not denied it, then why media keeps saying PTI got attacked by MQM ? From what PTI saw in Kareemabad yesterday it should be known to all that the ordinary citizens and shopowners are genuinely with MQM no matter what the media portrays.

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True Pakistani

Apr 02, 2015 08:36pm

@noor Please look at the results of 2 by-elections in Karachi right after General Elections. They were strictly supervised by Army, inside and outside of polling stations.

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True Pakistani

Apr 02, 2015 08:38pm

@Akyl yeah, sarcastically speaking, good luck to all who are wasting their time and money thinking they can defeat MQM in NA-246.

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Ali

Apr 02, 2015 08:43pm

PTI will win for sure. will there be army or rangers placed at election booths / sites?

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Naeem Sajjad

Apr 02, 2015 08:45pm

MQM has not been beaten in azizabad since 1988,infact no party defies its stranglehold.It's been for the first time that a party,none other than PTI,is challeging MQM and shoring up its foothold in the constituency.May God bless PTI with a memorable triumph.

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Hopeful

Apr 02, 2015 08:51pm

Is it just me; none of the candidates actually live in the area?

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Hopeful

Apr 02, 2015 08:56pm

@Hussain A by-election (occasionally also spelled bye-election, and known in the United States, Palau, Micronesia and sometimes in Liberia). In Pakistan, it is bye-bye-election.

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Kashif Khan

Apr 02, 2015 09:15pm

PTI has nothing to show in Karachi. They have barely done anything in KP. MQM will win hands down. Give MQM the rightful authority that they had under Musharraf. Then see how things improve in Karachi. Karachi's problems are purely because PPP vaderas refuse to give authority to MQM.

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Think Twice Act Wise

Apr 02, 2015 09:18pm

So much for privacy every candidates house number is made public lolz Army must be installed for this for be fair election/counting

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Khan

Apr 02, 2015 09:28pm

It look like IK is begging MQM to give him this seat. The only way PTI could win this seat if MQM widraws its candidate. IK there is no other way.

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Faisal

Apr 02, 2015 09:33pm

Its not about PTI or MQM. Its about people of Karachi respecting themselves. Its an opportunity to show that we have self respect. We are not tool for point scoring. We are human and we want dignity. We are voter and not slave. We think, we observe and we decide. We longer want to be used for political agenda or taken for granted. Even if PTI wins, its not going to change anything. But it atleast it will show that we live and we have self respect and please dont take anyone for granted.

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Think Twice Act Wise

Apr 02, 2015 09:42pm

HAHAHAHA Good one. I guess no one reads it lolzz

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Think Twice Act Wise

Apr 02, 2015 09:44pm

@Hopeful lolz atleast they are in Karachi not in London lolzzz

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Shak

Apr 02, 2015 09:46pm

Even if you don't like IK, please vote him. We can't have status quo in karachi. If karachiities believe they are deprived, then let's have someone else represent them who is not from karachi. Just give him a chance for 4 years. You can go back to MQM if things does not work out.

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Khan

Apr 02, 2015 09:54pm

Please let all people vote fot PTI. please let me make my election headquarters at 90 , please widraw yout candidate, please let Rangers and election commission people vote for me . Let me and my millionaire friends like Azam Swati, Asad Umer and Imran Ismail change this country and let me buy first Azizabad . Imran Khan

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Khan

Apr 02, 2015 09:57pm

@Ali PTI will win . What a joke !

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Khan

Apr 02, 2015 10:02pm

@Think Twice Act Wise I like this idea . Army should be installed everywhere . Democracy should be sent to Indian ocean. Long live Mushraf !

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Apr 02, 2015 10:06pm

If fair, transparent and free elections are held in the NA 246 by-polls in Karachi under the auspices of the Rangers and the great Pakistan Army, Imran Khan's candidate has excellent chances of winning it.

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Khan

Apr 02, 2015 10:47pm

@Awais Ali Gone are the days when people from outside Karachi use to decide about Karachi , now we people of Karachi decide our future, and MQM is our present , past and future. MQM is the truth and MQM is that all we need, Stop dreaming about invading Karachi !

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Danish

Apr 02, 2015 10:49pm

Jamat Islami and Pasban should withdraw in favor of PTI. Dont divide votes. Jamat cannot win there.

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Abbas

Apr 02, 2015 10:51pm

I would be surprised if MQM wins by a margin of less than 30'ooo.

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Khan

Apr 02, 2015 10:51pm

@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Still a joke ! Any election happens ,under army , rangers, police or even under United Nations MQM will come as victorious as MQM is the real representation .

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Muhammad

Apr 02, 2015 10:56pm

@True Pakistani Even if someone "provokes", the other party has no right to resort to violence or take law into their own hands. That is the difference between civilized and uncivilized society . Please don't get me wrong. I am not justifying provocative acts.

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Masood Haider

Apr 02, 2015 11:03pm

The anti-MQM vote will be split between the two right wing parties JI and PTI and MQM will emerge as a winner.

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Javid

Apr 02, 2015 11:17pm

I used to live in block nine (300 meters from 90). If anybody thinks that PTI has any chance there, he must be dreaming.

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muhammed ahmed khan

Apr 02, 2015 11:23pm

Great move by IK but this area is under siege of MQM. We know the outcome of the bi election!!

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adil jadoon

Apr 02, 2015 11:25pm

@noor if pti gets 40% of the vote here I think they will be the winners.

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Khan

Apr 03, 2015 01:14am

@Danish Yes if all the forces are evil are together even they can not win against MQM. Imran Ismail cannot buy this election even with his all money .

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nasik

Apr 03, 2015 01:26am

Good to have a choice between the bad, the even worse and the ultimate worst.

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Saeed Malik

Apr 03, 2015 01:34am

Army in each polling booth for 15 years to bring honesty in Pakitani election. Otherwise it will be a selection. This nation is full of corrupt leaders and I do not trust the present system.I do not care who win the election but it should be honest.

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Khan

Apr 03, 2015 02:16am

@Shak All good reasons to vote for IK as well as all bad reasons to vote for IK.

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FaisalFromKarachi

Apr 03, 2015 02:46am

Its about us, its not about MQM vs PTI. Its about the people of Karachi showing self respect and saying NO to be used as a political tool for any party. Its about saying enough is enough. Its saying NO for being taken for granted. Its about saying NO to emotional blackmail. Its about saying big NO to whats happening around us. Its about saying NO of being used again and again as someone's political strength. Nobody, yes nobody should dictate us when to open shop or when not to, when to go school or when not to. Its our life and we can deal with it. Even if PTI wins, nothing may change for better. At least it will be our collective way of saying, don't take us for granted. We are above all of it, we are human, we listen, we think and we respond. Its about us, its not about MQM or PTI.

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Khan

Apr 03, 2015 03:08am

@adil jadoon Well . I see here a very basic hypocracy that PTI will be winner with 40% and MQM with 95 % are so called fake representation . .Well . I say again PTI .PPP,JI , ANP and even PML N on one side and MQM on the other side could not win this seat. I double dare you Mr. IK.

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Saima

Apr 03, 2015 05:03am

JI is there to make it sure that MQM wins this seat. Thank you JI.

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Junaid

Apr 03, 2015 06:00am

Inshallah PTI will win the people of karachi want change!!!

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yaran

Apr 03, 2015 06:04am

@Irfan long live MQM

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Khan

Apr 03, 2015 08:50am

@Junaid How do you know this while sitting in Toba Tekh Singh ?

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Mgaksa

Apr 03, 2015 09:48am

If I have to vote, I will vote for person who can provide services to me in my constituency, Mr. Ismial may be humble, will he be there, when I need him? He will either in Defense or in Islamabad.

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tabish

Apr 04, 2015 02:28am

@adil jadoon yes u r right

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tabish

Apr 04, 2015 02:29am

U r right

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kamran ahmad

Apr 04, 2015 01:50pm

karachi is the homeland of mqm and na-246 is the home so definitely mqn win this election

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kamran ahmad

Apr 04, 2015 01:51pm

karachi is the home land of mqm and na-246 is the home of mqm so definetele mqm win this election

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kamran ahmad

Apr 04, 2015 01:52pm

karachi is the homeland of mqm and na-246 is the home of mqm so definitely mqm win

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kamran ahmad

Apr 04, 2015 01:54pm

@jaree why

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atif

Apr 04, 2015 02:46pm

Interesting competition and can change the politics for good. Why did Dawn publish full home addresses of the candidates. There was no need to publish the pictures with these details. Very un professional indeed

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Zafar Ahmed

Apr 06, 2015 09:48pm

There is no contest between MQM and PTI

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