Daily Times

KARACHI: By-polling in two constituencies of Karachi, NA-243 and PS-87 ended with a very low turnout on Sunday.

According to unofficial by-poll results, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s(PTI) candidate Alamgir Khan Mehsud took the lead in NA-243 against Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) Amir Waliuddin Chishti. In Malir’s PS-87, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ticketholder Muhammad Sajid Jokhio secured victory by defeating PTI’s Qadir Buksh.

Reportedly, hotels remained jam packed and routinely Sunday activities commenced in Karachi’s playgrounds on the day of by-polls. Daily Times learnt that slow pace of polling in the July general elections had kept the residents from voting in the by-elections.

The polling activity ended peacefully amidst tight security. No rigging was observed from the two constituencies where the by-polls were conducted. However, in some areas the polling agents complained that they were not allowed inside the polling stations or sent out before the voting process commenced. PPP poling agent Afsheen told Daily Timesthat she had been sent out from the polling station’s booth 63, Islamia College in NA-243.

Residents cited various reasons for not participating in the by-polls. Aijaz Uddin Ahmed, a resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal said that the by-poll was only wastage of time and money . “Why did ECP allow a single person to contest from five National Assembly (NA) constituencies?” he lashed out. “Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan vacating the seat has cost ECP money,” he opined.

Marwa Ali a student who casted her vote in the general elections said that she was angry with Imran’s attitude towards the metropolis. “Why didn’t he choose to be the PM from Karachi?” she questioned. Marwa said that she was not voting again because of these reasons.

Meanwhile, the PTI candidate Alamgir after casting his vote said, “The residents of Karachi have always supported me for Fix-it and they were there for me when I was out on the roads for my social cause and also when I went to jail. He urged his votes to go out and vote for him, adding that the poll was a chance to overturn the history of Karachi.

Published in Daily Times, October 15^th 2018.