KARACHI, Jan 10: Dr Mohammed Ali Brohi of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, who was a joint candidate of the ruling coalition in Sindh, won the by-election for the Senate seat by a margin of 39 votes.

He bagged 98 votes against his rival PPP candidate Karim Khwaja who secured all the 59 votes of his party.

The seat had fallen vacant after the death of Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani, the president of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

The MMA, which had also fielded its candidate Muhammad Hashim Siddiqui, stayed away from the contest with none of its eight MPAs turning up at the assembly to cast vote. This was in pursuance of its Friday night decision to boycott the polls.

Of the total 159 votes cast, two were declared invalid. One was found blank while the other was inscribed with a political slogan, "Long live Mohajir Qaumi Movement", cast by the Haqiqi's lone MPA, Muhammad Yunus. He had been specially brought from the prison to allow him to exercise his right to vote.

"I cast this vote in the name of Afaq Khan, Aamir Khan and millions of those who were being punished for their love of Pakistan and the city," he wrote.

The unofficial result was announced by provincial Election Commissioner Mr Ali Ahmed Halepoto in the presence of candidates, their agents and party MPAs and media-persons soon after the counting of all the 159 votes was over.

MQM chief Altaf Hussain exchanged greetings with Sindh chief minister and the senator-elect after the result was announced. He described Mr Brohi's victory as that of the poor and the oppressed.

He said the result showed that the day was no far off when Sindh would get rid of deprivation and get back its "usurped rights."

Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan also felicitated the senator-elect.

He expressed the hope that by utilising the best of his abilities, Mr Brohi would represent the Sindh province in the Senate and work for the betterment of the country and the province.