KARACHI: In NA-239 of Korangi district, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM) is all set to face its homegrown rival, the Pak Sarzameen Party more than any other political force.

It comprises Model Colony and Shah Faisal sub-divisions. Two provincial assembly seats — PS-92 and PS-93 — and half of the third provincial assembly constituency, PS-98, fall in NA-239.

There are 528,732 registered voters — 286,149 male and 242,583 female.

‘Silent voters’ could swing the pendulum in anyone’s favour

They make up to 62 per cent of the 849,019 population, which belongs to the middle-income group, doing small businesses. There are 315 polling stations set up with 1,260 polling booths.

In 2013, the number of registered voters in the constituency was 374,118 — including 228,307 male and 145,811 female.

Since the last one-and-a-half decade, the constituency has remained a stronghold of the MQM, up till now the city’s ruling political force, which has won three consecutive general elections with heavy margins against its political rivals.

The Urdu-speaking majority constituency’s seat was won by the MQM’s Mohammad Iqbal Khan, better known as Deputy Iqbal Khan, in 2002 and he did it again in 2008 and 2013.

With no heavyweights among the 19 competing candidates, the constituency will also face some candidates who are starting their political career this year.

This time around, the MQM has fielded a relatively new face, Khawaja Sohail Mansoor, who may win the seat.

The PPP has fielded Imran Haider Rizvi, who is seen as the second most promising candidate.

Formerly belonging to the MQM, Mr Rizvi runs the cable network in the Shah Faisal and Malir areas and is contesting the first election of his career.

The rival PSP has fielded Nadeem Razi.

The Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan has also fielded its Karachi chapter chief Zaman Ali Jafferi, while the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s Haleem Khan Ghouri is a former town nazim.

The PML-N has fielded a Punjabi-speaking candidate, Mohammad Ehsan, who is contesting the parliamentary election for the first time and is the brother of the Model Colony Union Council’s chairman.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has also fielded a fresh candidate, Mohammad Akram Cheema.

Punjabi-speaking vote bank

A Punjabi-speaker, Mr Cheema is a former student leader belonging to the Punjabi Students Association and runs a poultry feed manufacturing company in the Malir cantonment area.

“There is the vote of Punjabi-speaking population in Green Town, Golden Town, Al-Falah Society and along the railway tracks from airport to the Drigh Colony,” a local activist said.

The constituency also has a sizeable vote bank of the Shia community, which resides in the Jaffar-i-Tayyar Cooperative Housing Society in Malir, Shah Faisal Colony No. 1 and 5 and Saudabad A and B.

Similarly, the Natha Khan locality has Hazarawal community while Jumma Goth, Badal Goth and Gulshan-i-Buner have Pakhtun population.

Similarly, Jokhio Goth near Model Colony has Sindhi-speaking population.

Other parties could also attract the ‘silent voters’, as was seen in the 2013 general elections with the PTI emerging as the second largest political force. For example, voters confused because of internal rifts of the MQM may look for other options.

Observers say that the silent voters could lean more towards the PML-N and the PTI than the PSP, as the “fear” factor could leave them uncertain.

An independent candidate is contesting with a symbol of jeep — one allotted to the PML-N’s estranged leader Chaudhry Nisar.

Some observers believe that if the MMA and PML-N would reach any seat adjustment their unanimous candidate could possibly give a tough time to the MQM-P and its emerging rival PSP.

The National Assembly constituency comprises Shah Faisal Colony, Millat Colony, Natha Khan, Green Town, Al-Falah Society, Golden Town, Azeempura, Shamsi Society, Gulshan-i-Ghazali, Salman Terrace, Security Printing Press, Model Colony, PAF Base Camp, Air Force Housing Society, Old Iqbalabad, Pak Kausar Town, Saudabad, Indus Mehran and Malir Colony.

The constituency also comprises the Faisal Cantonment. Its other areas are: Saudia Colony, Madina Colony, Jinnah Square, Jinnah Colony, Khokhrapar, Bilawal Colony, Lal Quarters, Sajjan Goth and Muzaffarabad.

The parts of Malir district falling in the constituency include Malir Town, Christian Colony, Shad Bagh and Gulshan-i-Jami, Jaffar Bagh Colony, Nazeer Town and Shadman Town.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2018