KARACHI: With an estimated population of 3,84,378, comprising eight union councils, Keamari Town has been carved out of the coastal and rural areas of old Karachi west.

It houses some of the country’s major economic installations — the port, the Customs House, the fish harbour - and thus has an importance of its own. The town also includes three islands — Baba, Bhit and Shamspir.

It has major civil, military and commercial establishments, and borders Balochistan.

Nearly 70 per cent of the town’s localities come in the category of katchi abadis. The absence of civic amenities, particularly water and sewerage systems, is the basic problem faced by the people.

The town has a 13-member council, comprising the naib nazims of its eight councils, one representative of the minorities, one labour representative and three women.

Many parts of the union councils fall in the NA-239 and PS-89 and PS-90 constituencies. The PPP, MQM and PML-Nawaz had won in the elections of 1988, 1990 and 1993. In the 1997 election, PML also retained this seat. However, at the last general election, the six-party religious parties MMA candidate had succeeded to win this seat in the last national election.

In the 2001 local elections boycotted by the MQM, the PPP emerged as viable political force and it got a majority of seats in the town. Awam Dost panel candidate Zulfikar Yonus won the election of town nazim.

A survey shows that the population of the town is mainly made up of Sindhi, Balochi, Katchi and Gujarati-speaking communities, but it also accommodates a sizeable number of Pushto, Punjabi, Hazara and Urdu-speaking voters.

A large number of people of the town are involved in fishing or related activity or engaged in dock or port functions and 70 per cent of the population lives in shanty settlements.

In the 70s, it was a strong support base of the Pakistan People’s Party. However, the situation changed in the 80s with the change in demography as Pushto and Punjabi-speaking people entered the fisheries sector or got employed at Karachi Port, Shipyard and Dockyard. The PPP has remained a dominant force, with a strong support base in the fishing communities of the coastal areas and residents of the rural areas.

The ANP and the PML-N also command considerable influence in the Pakhtoon and Punjabi dominated UCs.

An interesting contest is expected in the town between the Awam Dost, Watan Dost, Al-Khidmat and Haq Parast panels.

Despite being the nerve centre of the metropolis, as well as the country, a big majority of the town’s population lives in abject poverty in coastal villages and remote areas.

Though the town is faced with acute civic problems, land grabbing has assumed alarming levels in Hawkesbay and Gabopat union council areas where unscrupulous elements are now eyeing private lands also.

Residents have complained that private lands were being leased out to owners of mines and the families settled on these lands are being forced to vacate their ancestral abodes.