Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as a major political party in Karachi after grabbing more than 12 of Karachi’s 21 National Assembly seats, according to the preliminary and unofficial results.

“PTI was leading with a majority of votes in at least 12 of National Assembly Karachi seats as per the counts received to PTI Central Election Cell,” stated the PTI spokesperson for Karachi before adding that the majority of the seats claimed by the PTI were also claimed by MQM-P.

According to the unofficial results, PTI’s candidate Saif-ur-Rehman won from NA-242 by a large margin. In NA-243 Syed Ali Raza Abidi from Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) was defeated by PTI’s Imran Ahmad Khan while in NA-244 PTI’s Ali Haider Zaidi won against PML-N candidate and former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail. In NA-245, PTI’s controversial candidate Aamir Liaquat Hussain took the lead by defeating MQM-P’s senior leader Farooq Sattar.

In Karachi’s NA-246, PTI’s Abdul Shakoor Shad took the seat. Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan’s (TLP)Bilal Saleem Qadri was the runner up while PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stood third. PTI’s Arif Alvi succeeded from NA-247 against runner up Farooq Sattar. In NA-248, Sardar Aziz defeated PPP’s Qadir Patel while PTI’s Faisal Vawda defeated PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif in NA-249. In NA-250, which was considered one of MQM-P’s strongholds, PTI’s Attahullah defeated MQM-P’s Fayyaz Kaim Khani while in NA-252, PTI candidate Aftab Jahangir defeated MQM’s Dr Abdul Qadir Khanzada. In NA-254, which was once considered MQM’s headquarter, PTI candidate Muhammad Aslam Khan defeated MQM’s Sheikh Salahuddin by a big margin. In NA-256 PTI’s Najeeb Haroon defeated MQM’s Amir Chishti.

Meanwhile, all major parties of Karachi, except for PTI, criticized the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for not allowing their polling agents to witness the vote counting procedure. Major political leaders including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and MQM senior leader Farooq Sattar also slammed the ECP for not releasing official results early. Over all, every politician rejected the results of the poll, alleging “blatant” rigging.

PTI sympathizers celebrate:

PTI supporters celebrated the party’s victory all across the metropolis. PTI sympathizers held up flags and danced on PTI’s anthem songs Naya Pakistan (New Pakistan) and Tabdeeli Ai Re (Change Has Come) on Thursday.

Meanwhile, PTI Karachi chapter celebrated the historical winning of PTI from Karachi as well all over Pakistan at Insaf House Karachi. Supporters and workers cheers as fireworks went off in different areas of the city.

“Imran Khan is an honest man and he has been my mentor,” declared first-time voter, Mainam Hussain as he celebrated in Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

A large number of urdu speaking mohajjir voters who supported PTI in these elections told Daily Times that MQM did nothing for them and created unrest in the area. “We are fed up with load shedding, sewerage issues and street crime, therefore we had to go for PTI,” explained Tofeeq Naimat, a resident and PTI supporter.

AbuBakar Siddique, an engineering student said that he loved Imran Khan and he was positive that the leader would bring change. “I expect much more from Khan Sahab,” he added.

Some PTI supporters said that they were hoping that Imran Khan would rid the nation of its debts and return the money that Nawaz and Zardari took from public.

When asked what they thought of rigging allegations made by almost every political party, the PTI supporters responded by saying that it was the irony of our political culture that no losing party ever accepted the results.

PTI supporters are expecting too much from PTI and the party’s time starts now.

Published in Daily Times, July 27^th 2018.