Karachi: Electioneering ends in NA-246

The seat fell vacant after Nabeel Gabol, who won the election on Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) ticket, tendered his resignation after developing differences with the party’s leadership.

The constituency housing Nine-Zero, the MQM headquarters, deemed as the stronghold of the party, which has won the seat without any headache of serious rivalry in the past many elections.

MQM after a long period of carefree elections feeling the heat of contest in this by-election in the constituency in the face of the candidates from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and old rivals Jamaat Islami (JI).

The voters will reach the polling stations in NA-246 on Thursday (tomorrow) to cast their votes under the vigilance of paramilitary Rangers.

The ECP will provide ballot boxes and ballot papers at the polling stations today.

The local authorities have announced ban on the pillion riding in the city on the eve of the election in the sensitive Karachi constituency. The ban will remain in force till April 24.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has prohibited the voters from carrying cell phones inside the polling stations.

The ECP has also directed all presiding officers to allow voters showing original expired national identity cards to cast their votes in the by-election.

The result of the by-election, which is being seen as a referendum over the dominance of MQM over Karachi’s political scene, would have a variety of consequences for the election politics in the port city and the urban parts of Sindh.