In a major development, the MQM-P has decided not field candidates in 15 constituencies – five national and 10 provincial – of Karachi to accommodate the allied parties, mainly the PML-N, as the February 8 elections are now less than a month away. On the other hand, the MQM-P also announced the list of candidates for National Assembly from Karachi as it is eyeing to regain its hold on the city’s politics after the divisions it faced after 2013, leading to disappointing results in 2018. At the same time, details are emerging about how the different parties will try to weaken the PPP in Sindh with a final decision expected later today (Thursday) after their leaders hold a final meeting. Most of the candidates in Kashmore, Jacobabad and Shikarpur will reportedly be from the JUI-F with the PML-N providing in some constituencies.

Rashid Soomro – the JUI-F provincial chief – will challenge PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Larkana for the national legislature, as the party will field the majority of candidates for provincial assembly in Ghotki, Kashmore and Shikarpur. However, the likeminded parties have decided to give PS-5, PS-6 and PS-9 to the PML-N which will also enjoy their support in NA-205 Naushehro Feroze I with Asghar Ali Shah being its candidate. Same is the case with NA-211 Mirpurkhas. In NA-216 Matiari, PML-N Sindh President Bashir Memon is the joint candidate.

The seat adjustment comes as megacity could play a decisive role in future politics at both national and provincial levels thanks to its sheer size. After the latest delimitations, Karachi has 22 National Assembly seats and 47 for the Sindh Assembly for which 130 members are to be elected directly on February 8. However, NA-242 remains the point of contention after both PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and MQM-P Senior Deputy Convener Mustafa Kamal filed nomination papers for the constituency, as three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif zoomed in on Karachi in his attempt to enter the coveted office for a record fourth term.

 Read more: PML-N, other parties table initial proposals for seat adjustment in Karachi But it is expected the two parties will develop a consensus due to the understanding reached for not only these elections but also a long-term relationship after the two sides agreed to empower local governments across Pakistan – the main slogan of the MQM-P which wants the urban centres in Sindh to govern the affairs locally. The latest decision on seat adjustment in Karachi came at meeting of likeminded parties on Wednesday, as they are getting ready for a surprise in Sindh and bring a change in the PPP’s stronghold where it is in government since 2008.

Accordingly, the MQM-P will have the backing of allied parties for the Sindh Assembly seats in Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah (Shaheed Benazirabad) and Sukkur. For the National Assembly seats from these districts, the allied parties – PML-N, GDA [an alliance dominated by the PML-F] and the JUI-F are going to have their candidates. Also on Wednesday, the MQM-P shared the names of those contesting elections for National Assembly on February 8. Their details are given below.

NA-232 Aasia Ishaque, NA-233 Javed Hanif, NA-234 Muhammad Abubakar, NA-235 Iqbal Mehsud, NA-236 Hassan Sabir, NA-237 Rauf Siddiqui, NA-238 Sadiq Iftikhar, NA-240 Arshad Vohra, NA-241 and NA-244 Dr Farooq Sattar, NA-242 and NA-247 Mustafa Kamal, NA-243 Humayun Usman, NA-245 Syed Hafeezuddin, NA-246 Syed Aminul Haque, NA-248 Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, NA-249 Ahmed Saleem Siddiqui and NA-250 Farhan Chishti.

 
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)