Karachi
April 29, 2021
Karachi is all set to host the much-awaited by-election for the NA-249 (West-II) constituency, which encompasses Baldia Town, on Thursday (today). Candidates representing Pakistan’s major political parties are expected to give one another a good run for their money in what essentially seems to be nothing less than a showdown.
The crucial National Assembly seat had fallen vacant after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Faisal Vawda resigned following the casting of his vote in the Senate elections in March.
2018 elections
The 2018 general elections had seen a close contest in NA-249, with Vawda securing 35,344 votes to defeat the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) candidate and former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, who had polled 34,626 votes.
Karachi by-election: Polling begins for NA-249
Tough competition expected between five parties SAMAA | Zamzam and Syed Khursheed Alam - Posted: Apr 29, 2021 | Last Updated: 17 mins ago SAMAA | Zamzam and Syed Khursheed Alam Posted: Apr 29, 2021 | Last Updated: 17 mins ago
Photo: Online
Karachi residents have started casting their votes to elect their representative from NA-249. The polling started at 8am and will continue till 5pm.
Here are live updates from the constituency:
Around
12:25pm, the Election Commission of Pakistan ordered law enforcement agencies to escort PTI leaders Firdous Shamim Naqvi and Bilal Ghaffar out of NA-249 till the polling ends.
According to a letter issued by Regional Election Commissioner Nadeem Haider, no MPA, MNA, minister, or other public office bearers from any party is allowed to visit the NA-249 constituency during polling.
Who will shine in NA-249?
With litany of promises made by candidates, this neglected area turns into a political battleground for a by-election
By-election being held on seat that fell vacant after death of PPP MPA.
PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
In Karachi’s Baldia Town area, barefoot children, carrying jerry cans, jumping over uncovered manholes without skipping a beat and racing their peers on narrow, uneven and dirty roads is the norm. All around, there are remnants of schools, parks and playgrounds with broken boundary walls that seem to be propped up by piles of garbage - an equally commonplace sight across the NA-249 constituency.
KARACHI: A tough contest is expected among candidates of major political parties contesting the by-election in a water-starved Karachi National Assembly constituency, NA-249, polling for which is going to be held on Thursday (tomorrow).
NA-249, Karachi West II, was created in 2018 by amalgamating areas that previously fell in two NA constituencies (NA-239 and NA-240) during three general elections held from 2002 to 2013.
Before the creation of this constituency, NA-240 was considered to be a stronghold of the then Altaf Hussain-led Muttahida Qaumi Movement as an overwhelming majority of Urdu-speaking voters lived there. In the delimitation for the 2018 election, areas from old NA-239 and NA-240, said to be dominated by people of other ethnic backgrounds, were merged to form the NA-249 constituency.
Khalid Siddiqi Pasban Pakistan
Muhammad Adil Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party
Muhammad Wali Pakistan Falah Party
18 independent candidates
PSP chairman Mustafa Kamal is standing as his party’s candidate from NA-249.
The former mayor belonged to the MQM, before he suddenly left the country in August 2013. He returned in 2016 and formed the PSP.
In the 2018 election, Dr Fouzia Hameed who had contested from NA-249 on behalf of the PSP had secured just 1,617 votes.
Ahead of the by-polls, which he is contesting himself this time, the PSP chief said that water was a big problem for the residents of areas lying within the NA-249 constituency.