MQM-P retains NA-240 Karachi seat in nail-biting contest

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has successfully retained the National Assembly seat from NA-240 Karachi, following a nail-biting competition from TLP in the by-election marred by violence, low voter turnout and allegations of rigging, ARY NEWS reported.

The seat fell vacant after the party’s MNA Iqbal Ali Muhammad Khan died due to natural causes.

According to unofficial results, the MQM-P candidate Muhammad Abu Bakr bagged 10,683 votes, followed by TLP’s Shahzada Shahbaz who secured 10,618 votes.

According to form 47 issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), there were 309 polling stations established for 529,855 voters of which only 8.38 percent [43,948] of them cast their votes during the polling process.

It shared that 440 votes were rejected by the commission.

Meanwhile, TLP has submitted a request for a recount in the constituency to the returning officer saying that they were not satisfied with the result and wanted to exercise their legal right of a recount.

“The RTS stopped working for 33 minutes during the result compilation process,” the party further alleged. The ECP has accepted their plea for a recount.

Moreover, the top leader of the party Saad Rizvi alleged that ballot boxes were snatched from three polling stations and they have evidence of it. “Rigging complaints have also been reported from multiple polling stations,” he said.

Violence during NA-240 Karachi by-poll claims one life

Additional Inspector-General (AIG) Karachi, Javed Alam Odho, has confirmed one death in armed clashes between political workers of rival parties during the by-election in the NA-240 constituency.

Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) head Dr Shahid Rasul also confirmed that the hospital received three persons and one body.

In a statement, AIG Karachi Javed Alam said that one person – identified as Saifuddin – died while four others were injured during the violence in Landhi-6.

He further said that later, a scuffle broke out between the parties’ workers outside a political party office. “First they hit each other with sticks and then shots were fired,” he added.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) have accused each other of injuring party workers during the by-polling in the area.