AFTER negotiating crowded Shershah in the SITE area, when you take the RCD Highway to Hub, Baldia Town falls on your right. According to the 1998 census, it is home to more than 4,06,165 working class people of limited income. Registered voters number 188,086, with women accounting for 78,206.

All the major political parties have fielded proxy panels for this week’s elections. Many former opponents have joined hands while some who were part of previous alliances have switched sides.

Baldia Town comprises eight union councils, most of them lacking in revenue-generating sources. Therefore, only one-fourth of the town could see a little development. Apparently the area failed to find favour with the CDGK and even the provincial government.

It is a Pakhtoon-Punjabi dominated town. According to experts, Pushto- speakers constitute 27 per cent of the population with 22 per cent Punjabi- speakers. Balochis and Sindhis are estimated at five and eight per cent, respectively. Urdu, Gujarati and Kachhi-speaking together constitute roughly 38 per cent. They are mostly located in Muslim Mujahid Colony, Saeedabad and Mohajir Camp.

The Pakhtoon factor will play a significant role in this town. But it remains to be seen as to what extent the Muttahida Majlis Amal can exploit this factor; in 2001, despite the religious sentiments created by America’s and the regime’s policies on Afghanistan, they could not get their own town nazim elected. The liberal, secular parties dominated. The ANP-backed candidate was elected town nazim, with the Awam Dost panel winning the naib nazim’s slot in 2001.

The presence of the MQM in the area has changed the complexion of the contest because of its domination of the provincial coalition government. But strong in only three out of the town’s eight UCs, it would be an uphill task for the MQM to widen its hold, especially when all the other major parties have forged arrangements against it. But its prospects have improved after the former nazim and naib nazim of UC-8 who were elected on a Sunni Tehrik-sponsored platform in 2001 have switched sides to the advantage of the MQM. Even the PML-Q backed candidates in some Punjabi-dominated UCs are trying to work out electoral arrangements with the Sunni Tehrik and JUI. But their votes can be divided. In some places, JUI and JI nominees are not comfortable with each other.

In UC-1, Gulshan-i-Ghazi, Mohammad Ashraf Awan of the JI supported group was elected nazim whereas Dr Mohammad Iqbal, independent, was his deputy. In Ittehad Town UC-2, an independent, Abdul Majeed Butt, was elected as nazim while JUI’s Haroon Rasheed was elected as naib nazim. In UC-3 MMA-supported Zar Mohammad and PPP-supported Yakoob Khaskheli were elected nazim and naib nazim, respectively.

In UC-4 independents Haji Mohammad Akhtar Bhatti and Yunus Arain were elected nazim and naib nazim. In UC-5 JI backed Syed Ataullah Shah was elected as nazim while independent Mohammad Zubair Baig was his deputy. In UC 6, ANP and PPP supported platforms teamed up to elect the nazim and naib nazim, Mohammad Yakoob Khan and Mohammad Ajmal Khan, respectively.

Independents had clinched the top slot in UC-7, with Haji Ghulam Hussain Turk as nazim and Abdul Sattar Mughal as his number two. UC-8 was controlled by Sunni Tehrik nominees — Mohammad Umar Bhatti, nazim, and Abdul Mateen, naib nazim.

All the areas that traditionally fell within the limits of Baldia have been included in this town. The comparatively lower population of UCs 3 and 4 (Islamnagar and Naiabadi) and the larger population of UC 6 is an indication of the fact that compactness of the existing localities within this town has been maintained. The wayward boundary on the eastern side signifies the border with Orangi which has developed on the basis of small localities / colonies rather than on a planned pattern.

The Police Training Centre is also located in this town, but the crime rate, according to residents, is high and law and order precarious. Reports suggest the existence of dens of drug pushers and criminal gangs. The famous Farooq Dada belonged to Patni mohalla which is located in this town.

Many residents suggest that since the town is along the RCD highway, it has been used as a convenient transit point by drug pushers and other criminals and has been a safe haven for jihadis. A large number of Afghans had also sought refuge here. Some residents also believe that it is being used as one of the many staging points for the dispersal of small arms in the city.

Like the neighbouring Orangi, Gadap and Keamari towns, Baldia too is a picture of neglect where water is the main concern because in almost half of the town there is no piped water. The residents have to spend a lot of their earnings on water tankers.

The town also suffers from dilapidated roads, overflowing sewers and heaps of trash. It lacks educational and hospital facilities.

UC Gulshan-i-Ghazi comprises Faqir Colony and Gulshan-i-Ghazi block a, b, c and d), with a population of 51,096 (according to the 1998 census). Ittehad Town with a population of 46,475 includes Qaimkhani Colony, Ittehad Town, Baldia Sector 9 and ext (part), Abidabad (part).

Islamnagar with a population of 39879 include Sector 9 and Extension Baldia (part), Naval Colony, Yusuf Goth, Dawood Goth, Saadullah Goth Abidabad and Islamnagar (part).

UC Naiabadi with a population of 41,182 includes Saeedabad 4, 8 & Baldia Town.

Saeedabad is the fifth UC with a population of 62,000. It includes Sector 3-A & B5 D-3, 9 A & B, New Police Training Centre and Baldia (part.

UC-6 is Mohajir Camp which comprises Sarhad Colony, Ghous Nagar, Madina Colony, Mohajir Camp, Mianwali Para and Swat Colony. Its population is 63,557.

Muslim Mujahid Colony (UC 7 — Anjum Colony Kokan Colony, Gujrat Colony Turk Colony, Muslim Mujahid Colony and Swat Colony (part), population 51,405.

Rasheedabad is the last UC of this town. It includes besides Rasheedabad, Kumharwara, Juna Garh, Datari Mohalla, Habibabad, Chishtinagar, Haji Qasim Colony and Delhi Makkah Colony, population 51,405.