Daily Times

All is set to facilitate over 9.2 million registered voters of the largest city of the country to elect 22 members of the National and 47 members of the provincial assemblies in the general elections 2024 scheduled on February 08.

The ECP’s statistics showed Karachi Central as the largest district in terms of 2,144,926 registered voters, followed by the district East with 1,687,810, district Korangi 1,512,026, South 1,270,564, West 954,828, Kemari 891,214 and Malir 824,873 voters respectively. The Sindh government has imposed a complete ban on the display of weapons during the general election 2024.The police, rangers, and the army will be on high alert to maintain law and order and respond in case of any untoward situation.

According to Sindh Caretaker Home Minister Brig. (Retd) Haris Nawaz every possible step has been taken to improve the peace and security situation including installation of cameras on the sensitive polling stations. Cameras in the polling stations without electricity will be powered by solar systems, he noted. Stalwarts belonging to the main political players in the largest city of Pakistan with over 16.02 million population are set to contest for the four National Assembly constituencies part of the district Central Karachi, the largest district in terms of voters in the metropolis with 21,44926 registered voters including 1,153,192 male and 991,734 female as per the statistics issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan for the general election-2024 scheduled for this February 8. Convener of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, who is also former federal minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication will contest the election-2024 from NA-248 Karachi Central-II, is among other 33 candidates including Jamaat-e-Islami’s Muhammad Babar Khan and PPP’s Muhammad Hassan Khan in the run for NA 248 (formerly NA 254).

Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Hafiz Naeem Rehman will run for NA-250 Karachi Central-IV (formerly NA 256), against MQM Pakistan’s Farhan Chishti and PPP’s Khawaja Sohail, besides over 20 other candidates in the contest. Former leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly, ex-MPA Khawaja Izharul Hasan of MQM Pakistan are among the 27 candidates for NA-247 (formerly NA-253) Karachi Central-I, other than PPP’s Maaz Shaikh and Muneem Zafar of Jamaat-e-Islami. This seat was won by Osama Qadri of MQM Pakistan in 2018. Ahmed Saleem Siddiqui of MQM Pakistan, Rao Waheed of PPP and Muslim Parvez of Jamaat-e-Islami are among 27 candidates in the run for NA-249 Karachi Central-III (formerly NA 255). Earlier, this seat was won by MQM Pakistan which had a total 548806 registered voters including 299398 male and 249408 female.

The district East of Karachi with four constituencies of the National Assembly, NA-235, NA-236, NA-237 and NA-238, is the second largest district in terms of voters with 1,687,810 registered vote including 897,551 male and 790,259 female voters. The Central leader of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Dr. Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, besides 23 other candidates including Iqbal Khan Mehsud of MQM-Pakistan and Asif Khan of PPP, are in the run for NA-235 with total registered voters 170176 including 97741 male and 72435 female. Former federal minister and MQM-P’s central leader Dr. Farooq Sattar will contest the polls for NA-241 Karachi district South-III (formerly NA-247), this seat was won by sitting President Dr. Arif Alvi in 2018. PPP’s Dr. Mirza Akhtar Baig is also among the total 38 candidates in the run for NA-241, the constituency got a total 462512 registered voters including 243868 male and 218644 female voters.

MQM Pakistan’s Dr. Farooq Sattar will also contest the elections for NA-244 Karachi West-I (formerly NA 252) against PPP’s Abdul Barr and other 22 candidates. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan NA-244 got a total 155824 registered voters including 89505 male and 66319 females. MQM Pakistan’s Hasnat Sabir, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Usama Razi and People’s Party’s Muzamil Qureshi will contest for NA-236 Karachi district East-II, having 542409 total registered voters including 280363 male and 262046 female.

Former Home Minister of Sindh Rauf Siddiqui of MQM Pakistan, Irfan Ahmed of Jamaat-e-Islami, Asad Alam Niazi of People’s Party will contest for NA-237 (formerly NA 244) district East-III Karachi, contested by 36 candidates. This seat got total registered voters 413942 including 226178 male and 187764 females. NA-238 district East-IV Karachi (which was earlier NA 245) will to be contested between MQM Pakistan’s Sadiq Iftikhar, PPP’s Zafar Jhandeer, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Saifuddin and other 22 candidates in this constituency having total 561283 registered vote including 293269 male and 268014 male. PPP’s Nabil Gabol, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Fazlur Rehman Niazi and Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan – TLP’s Muhammad Sharjeel Gopalani are in the contest among 19 candidates for National Assembly Constituency NA-239 (formerly NA 246), got total 422081 registered voters including 233087 male and 188994 females.

A tough contest is also expected in NA-245 (formerly NA 250) Karachi West-II between MQM Pakistan’s Hafeezuddin, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Mohammad Ishaq, PPP’s Siddique Akbar and others. The constituency has total 375284 registered voters including 220253 male and 155032 females. Interesting contest will also be held on Karachi West-III seat NA-246 (formerly NA 251) between Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Hafiz Naeemur Rahman and MQM Pakistan leader and former federal minister Syed Aminul Haq. Total 24 candidates are in the run from this constituency which had a total 423861 registered voters including 241259 male and 182602 female. Aminul Haq of MQM Pakistan had won this seat in the elections 2018.

NA-240 Karachi South-II is a constituency newly created after the 2023 census in the district South of the metropolis with a total 385971 registered vote including 210741 male and 175230 female. Former Deputy Mayor of Karachi, MQM-Pakistan’s candidate Arshad Vohra, PPP’s Saleem Mandviwala, and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Syed Abdul Rasheed are contesting among 19 candidates for this seat. As many as 29 candidates will contest for Karachi Kemari-I NA-242 (formerly NA 249) having 172674 registered voters including 100659 male and 72015 female, for which Qadir Mandokhel of PPP, Syed Mustafa Kamal of MQM Pakistan, Khawaja Shoaib of PML-N, and others are in the run for this seat.

Around 19 candidates including PPP’s Abdul Qadir Patel, MQM Pakistan’s Humayun Usman, and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Shiraz Jadoon are in the contest for constituency NA-243 (formerly NA 248) in Kemari district. In the 2018 elections, Abdul Qadir Patel of the People’s Party won from here. Total registered voters 453424 including 261913 male and 191511 female. PPP’s Jam Abdul Karim has got ticket this time to contest from the stronghold of his party, Constituency NA-229 Malir-I (formerly NA 236) against Qadir Bakhsh of PML-N, Fauzia Hameed of MQM Pakistan and Muhammad Ejaz of TLP among total 15 candidates running in the elections for NA-229, which have a total registered voters 232437 including 130166 male and 102271 female voters. Jam Abdul Kareem Bajar had returned victorious from here in the 2018 elections.

Winner from Constituency NA-230 (formerly NA 238) Malir-II Karachi in 2018 elctions ex-MNA Syed Agha Rafiullah has again got the ticket of PPP to run for NA-230, having a total 250009 registered voters including 145303 male and 104706 female voters. PML-N’s Muzaffar Shajra, TLP’s Mohammad Anwar, Aurangzeb Farooqui of Pakistan Rah Haq Party, are among 25 candidates in the contest on this constituency.

In the contest for Constituency NA-231 (formerly NA 237) Malir Karachi having total 342427 registered voters including 191753 male and 150674 female, among 26 candidates PML-N’s Jameel Ahmad and PPP’s Abdul Karim Baloch are contesting. It is mentioned that Jameel Ahmed won from this constituency in 2018 election, is now the candidate of Muslim League-N. MQM-Pakistan’s Asia Ishaq, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Toufiquddin Siddiqui and Muslim League-N-backed Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Owais Noorani are among the 38 candidates who will try their luck in the elections in polls-2024 for NA 232 Korangi Karachi (formerly NA 239). Javed Hameed of MQM Pakistan, Abdul Jameel Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami, and Prince Shehbaz of TLP are among the candidates contesting for NA-233 Korangi Karachi (formerly NA 240). MQM-Pakistan’s Aamir Moin Peerzada, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Akhtar Hussain Qureshi and Muslim League-N’s Salim Zia are among the 20 candidates contesting from constituency NA-234 Korangi Karachi (formerly NA-241) will contest on February 8, 2024 to win the seat.