KARACHI: Hard hitting contest is ensuing in 9 out of 21 constituencies of Karachi where aspiring candidates are campaigning day and night to highlight their objectives priorities, past performance and future plans to canvas for votes. Karachi is the only city from where heads of 5 main political parties are in the battle for general election 2018. Apart from Shahbaz Shareef and Imran Khan, all of the party leaders are campaigning in full swing in the metropolis ahead of the upcoming elections. In the overall scenario, leading political personalities are contesting from 9 of Karachi’s 21 National Assembly seats. In NA-240, Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chairman Afaq Shafqat better known as Afaq Ahmed and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) senior leader Iqbal Mohammad Ali are contesting the election. In NA-244, former Finance Minister Dr Miftah Ismail ready to face Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s central senior vice president Ali Zaidi and Zahid Saeed from Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). In NA-246, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is contesting against Saleem Zia from Pakistan Muslim League N (PML-N) and Abdul Shakoor Shad from PTI. In NA-247, MQM-P’s senior leader Dr Farooq Sattar, Pak Sarzameen Party’s (PSP) Fauzia Kasuri and PTI’s Arif Alvi are facing each other. In addition, human rights activist and lawyer Jibran Nasir is also contesting the elections from this constituency as an independent candidate. In NA-249, PML-N President Mian Shahbaz Sharif and PTI’s Muhammad Fesal Vawad will contest against each other to become members of National Assembly. In NA-250, Awami National Party’s (ANP) Sindh President Shahi Syed and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman are challenging each other. PSP’s senior leader Syed Hafeezudeen is also contesting from this constituency. In NA-253, PSP Chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal facing MQM’s Osama Qadri. In NA- 254, MQM Chairman Afaq Ahmed is contesting against MQM-P’s Shaikh Salahuddin . In NA-255, MQM-P’s convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui will face PTI’s Mehmood Baqi Moulvi and PSP’s Jameel Rathore. According to experts, Karachi will be the talk of the town on poll-day mainly because very prominent leaders of political parties are contesting from the metropolis. Experts predict that the constituencies of Bilwal Bhutto and Imran Khan will gain more attention. Daily Times learnt that the technology is being fully utilized by these candidates to run their campaign and attract voters. According to political activists, latest technology and gadgets have made their ways easy into the overall political campaigns. “Social media has emerged as a major tool to contact the people in this modern era with round-the-clock texting. Candidates also post about their activities and put their manifestos up on social media,” said PSP Spokesman Asad Sheikh. Published in Daily Times, July 17th 2018.