MQM bags easy wins in Karachi by-elections
The Newspaper's Staff Reporter — Updated about 13 hours ago
KARACHI: As was highly expected the Muttahida Qaumi Movement re-captured both the constituencies of PS-106 and PS-117 of the Sindh Assembly in by-elections held on Thursday, according to unofficial results.
In PS-106, MQM’s Mahfoozyar Khan bagged 18,137 votes to defeat his closest rival Sardar Abdul Samad of PPP who could manage only 960 votes while PTI’s Nusrat Anwar could muster only 524 votes. Out of over 176,000 registered voters in the constituency, only 19,976 cast vote, with voter turnout recorded at 11 per cent.
In PS-117, MQM’s retd Maj Qamar Abbas emerged victorious with 10,738 out of total 14,235 votes cast. His closest rival Ali Raza of Tehreek-i-Islami secured 1,018 votes, PTI’s Rifaqat Qamar managed to get 950 votes, followed by PPP’s Javed Maqbool Butt (924) and JUI’s Syed Naeem Shah (432).
With total 14,235 votes cast out of over 163,000 voters in the constituency, the voter turnout remained at the lowest at nine per cent. At least 79 votes were rejected on technical grounds.
Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2016
Dawn Web Link
MQM wins PS-117, PS-106 by-elections
22 hours ago BY Staff Report
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) candidates Qamar Abbas Rizvi and Advocate Mahfooz Yar Khan have won the by-elections of PS-117 and PS-106, respectively, with big margins.
According to unofficial results, Qamar Abbas has bagged more than 10,000 votes in PS-117 while the PTI’s Rafaqat Ali stood second.
In PS-106, MQM’s Mahfooz Yar Khan got over 11,000 votes.
A very low turnout was witnessed in the two constituencies due to lack of hype for by-election on two Sindh Assembly seats.
The daylong polling on two constituencies concluded peacefully.
Pakistan Today Web Link
MQM all around as rivals go missing in action
By Najam Soharwardi
Karachi: Amid extraordinary security measures by the Sindh Rangers and police, polling stations in PS-117 and PS-106, the two constituencies where by-elections were held on Thursday, offered a deserted view till around mid-day, when mainly the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) supporters started coming in to cast their votes.
In the absence of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), which once again decided to stay away from by-polls in Karachi along with the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz and the Mohajir Qaumi Movement – Haqiqi, the MQM almost stood alone on ground as the other two main parties – the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf – ended up contesting as merely ceremonial participants.
Similarly, while the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), Pasban and independent candidates did contest the polls, none of them managed to make a mark on polling day.
In such a scenario, as one moved around the two constituencies on polling day, it was only the MQM’s supporters who could be seen at a number of camps set up by the party.
“The JI could at least show up on ground by setting up electoral camps. The PPP and PTI, on the other hand, have been virtually invisible in the constituency,” said an MQM voter and resident of PIB Colony, Muhammad Basil, while talking to The News outside a polling station.
In PS-117, which includes areas of PIB Colony, Aminabad, Clayton Quarters, Jamshed Quarters, Jehangir Road, Martin Quarters, Usmania Mohajir Colony, Pakistan Quarters, Islam Nagar, People’s Colony, Mohammadi Colony, Mustafa Colony, Patel Para, Garden East, Soldier Bazaar, Parsi Colony and Catholic Colony, the PTI failed to get its mass contact campaign off the ground.
“The situation was totally different in the 2013 general elections. There were long queues of PTI supporters at many polling stations in the area,” said Wasiq Usman, who voted for the PTI candidate in the by-polls.
“I still consider Imran Khan a better option than all the others. But, he really has failed to organise his party’s structure.”
Near the CDGK Primary School on Jehangir Road, which was transformed into a polling station, the only election office of the PTI remained closed throughout the day.
“MQM voters seemed to be at complete ease since there really was no one challenging their party, like the PTI did in 2013. The voter turnout was bound to be low since it is a working day,” said a sector member of PS-117, while justifying the low number of voters who came out in a constituency long considered a Muttahida stronghold.
The voter turnout in PS-106, which comprises parts of Azizabad, Liaquatabad, and FB Area, was not lower than PS-117; however, considering it is a neighborhood of the party’s headquarters, Nine Zero, it was still nowhere near a substantial show of force.
Dr Sagheer’s spectre looms
The by-polls to PS-117 were held as the seat had been vacated by former MQM leader Dr Sagheer Ahmed, who joined the Pakistan Sarzameen Party (PSP) and resigned from his provincial ministry.
Along with a number of banners hung by the MQM in support of its candidate, Major (Retd) Syed Qamar Abbas for the provincial assembly seat, one could also see a few walls in the constituency, especially in Usmania Mohajir Colony, where chalking in favour of Dr Sagheer still remains visible.
“People still respect Doctor Sahab as he had served the constituency for around a decade. The party has also adopted a flexible position for its rivals,” said an MQM activist of the area, requesting anonymity.
Other MQM supporters in the area said the chalking was simply not removed as the party did not want to “waste energy” on such tasks.
Polls on a working day
Voters and activists of different parties complained that the Election Commission of Pakistan had once again scheduled by-polls on a working day. In April 2016, the ECP had also scheduled by-polls to NA-245 and PS-115 on a weekday.
“Decisions like these mean that even the people who want to cast their votes and be part of the electoral process, simply cannot due to everyday work commitments,” said Usama Jamal, a voter at a polling station in PS-106.
The News Web Link
MQM regains PS-106, 117 seats
Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI - The Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Thursday wins both PS-106 and PS-117 seats despite low turnout in the by-polls.
According the unofficial results of PS-117, MQM candidates Qamar Abbas Rizvi won the seat by securing 10,773 votes leaving behind PPP Maqbool Butt who secured 1314 votes.
Similarly, MQM candidate Mehfooz Yar Khan won PS-106 securing 10,870 while PTI candidate Nusrat Anwar secured 1100 votes.
Earlier, during the polling low turnout was witnessed in the both constituencies.
People not even showed little interest in the polling while the hot temperature during the day presented a deserted look at the polling stations.
The polling staff reached their respective stations on time and started the polling process sharp at 8.
am and continued till 5pm without any break; however this first vote was cast after the 9.
am.
No major incident of violence was reported during the polling whereas the police and Rangers personnel were deployed to control any untoward situation.
Furthermore the security personnel also conducted patrolling at the both constituencies.
Polling staff during the polling time kept waiting for the voters and at many areas only MQM election camps were seen as many other political parties did not even bother to install camps to guide the voters.
The polling staff told The Nation that the turnout is very low as about five to six people were coming to cast their votes in an hour.
Only ten votes has been cast in three hours informed a polling staff at a polling booth established for women.
It has been 12.
pm and only three votes cast till now, said a staffer at the polling booth of 2 and 11 of polling station of Government School Ibrahim Ali Bhai.
Similarly only 10 votes were cast at polling booth 4.
At polling station of Matron Quarter Girls Secondary School, total numbers of 50 votes were cast till noon.
A part from this, at many of the polling stations established at government schools, the worse condition become agony for the polling staffs and voters as there was no electricity and waters.
The polling stations of Laiquaitabad, Shareefabad, Bandani Colony, Ishaqabad, Federal Capital area, Alkaram Square and others showed lack of basic facilities.
MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar and his wife Afshan Farooq cast their votes at the polling station of PS-117.
Talking to media, Sattar said that earlier the MQM will win the both seats.
Tough fight is always assumed as the other political parties run their election campaign with energy but it is unfortunate that low turnout is witnessed due to poor interest of other political parties in the elections.
To a query, Sattar said that currently Karachi is being recognised as the dirtiest city of Asia.
More than seven month has passed after the holding of Local Bodies elections but the Mayor Election was still in pending.
He vowed the MQM will change the entire shape of the city after winning the slot of Karachi Mayor.
The Nation Web Link
MQM wins PS-117, PS-106 seats in by-polls
Karachi—Results of the two provincial assembly by-elections in Karachi were a foregone conclusion, and naturally, as expected Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) won both the seats hands down.
Both of its candidates Qamar Abbas Rizvi and Advocate Mahfooz Yar Khan won the contests for PS-117 and PS-106 respectively with big margins.
According to unofficial results, Qamar Abbas has bagged more than 10, oo0 votes in PS-117 while the PTI’s Rafaqat Ali stood second. n PS-106, MQM’s Mahfooz Yar Khan got over 11, ooo votes. A very low turn out was witnessed in two constituencies due to lack of hype for by-election in both the constituencies.
Pakistan Observer Web Link
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