KARACHI, Dec 17: The city government has selected 73 spots in Karachi’s 18 towns where political parties will be allowed to hold public meetings as part of their election campaigns.
On November 30, the Sindh home department had asked the city government to identify at least one place in each of the city’s towns where public meetings could be held, and where such public meetings would not disturb the peace of the surrounding areas. It took the city government over two weeks to complete this exercise.
Sources within the city government told Dawn that the Karachi District Coordination Officer assigned to the Executive District Officer (Revenue) the task to identify these places but he failed to complete the exercise till Dec 15, the last date for the withdrawal of candidates. The EDO had been nominated as the focal person to coordinate closely with the district returning officers, the law enforcement agencies and other organisations relevant organisations.
A candidate or political party wanting to hold meetings at the specified spots will be required to obtain prior permission from the police.
Fourteen places have been specified for holding meetings in Site town, which is the highest number in any one town. One place each has been marked in Liaquatabad, Keamari and Korangi towns.
Jamshed Town has 10 such places followed by eight spots in New Karachi town. Political parties can hold their meetings at six different places in Saddar town. Meanwhile, the city government specified five places in Baldia Town and four each in Lyari, Gadap and Bin Qasim towns.
Three places have been reserved for public meetings in Malir town while two places each have been marked in Gulberg, North Nazimabad, Orangi, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Shah Faisal and Landhi towns.
The city government made it clear that political parties or election candidates can be allowed to use the notified places subject to availability and the issuance of no-objection certificates (NOCs) by the relevant town police officer.
Sources told Dawn that in compliance with the Election Commission’s code of conduct, no political party or individual will be allowed to hold public meetings at places other than those marked for this purpose. The holding of meetings or rallies on main streets, roads and roundabouts will not be permitted in order to avoid traffic jams and inconvenience to the public.
Meanwhile, the City District Government Karachi has notified the following spaces for holding public meetings:
New Karachi: KMC Ground, Sector 11-J New Karachi No. 1; Bin Qasim Ground Sector 5-G New Karachi; KMC Park, Sector 4 North Karachi; Eidgah Ground Bilal Masjid Sector 11-C/1 North Karachi; Ground Bus Stop No. 7½ Near Market Sector 11-G Opp. Farooq-e-Azam Masjid; Bus Stop No. 7 Ground Raza Academy; Mazda G-23 Last Stop Khamiso Goth Kutchi Abadi; ST-Ground adjacent to Tariq Bin Zayad Govt Boys and Girls School Sector 5-D New Karachi.
Gulberg Town: Tariq Ground Block-4 F.B. Area near Darbar Sultani Masjid; Family Park, Block-6 F.B. Area, near Ibrahim Masjid.
North Nazimabad: JAFCO Block “L” North Nazimabad; Parking Lot Hyderi Market.
Liaquatabad Town: Annu Bhai Park, Nazimabad No. 4.
SITE Town: Labour Square Gate No. 1; Eidgah Ground near Fatima Masjid Metroville; Eidgah Ground Pathan Colony; UC Office Ground Haider Chali; Aga Khan Flats behind ground Metroville; Eidgah Ground Park Modern Colony; Gattar Baghicha near Shahnawaz Bhutto Colony; Hassan Olya Village Rexer Line; Abdul Khaliq School Sher Shah; Eidgah Ground Haroonabad; Chai Hotel Ground Peerabad No. 2; Ground Qasbad 2-1/2; National Ground Sec 4/E; Double Ghousia Road, New Mianwali.
Orange Town: Football Ground main Manghopir Road MPR Colony Block ‘A’ Orangi Town; Sector 11-E Ground behind Town Office Orangi Town.
Baldia Town: Ground New Bus Stand Road No. 11 Qaim Khani Colony UC-11, Ground near Abu Al-Huraira Ittehad Town UC No. 11; Eidgah Ground Qaim Khani Colony UC 11; Pir Bagh Ground near Ranger Headquarters UC-4, Ground near Ahmed Raza Sector 8-C.
Keamari Town: Padar Ground Bhutta Village.
Lyari Town: Gabol Park UC-10; Kakri Ground, Singoo Lane Ground UC-9, Molvi Usman Park UC-8.
Saddar Town: Polo Ground; Railway Stadium, I.I. Chundrigar Road; Gizri Football Ground near Khayaban-e-Tanzeem;, Qamar-ul-Islam Ground opposite Qamar-ul-Islam School Punjab Colony main Khayaban-e-Jami; Eidgah Ground opposite Dehli Colony main Choudhary Khaliquzzaman Road; B1-8 Clifton; Railway Ground near Railway Secondary School main Kala Pul.
Jamshed Town: Al-Asifa Football Ground (Patel Para); Bijli Ground Patel Para; Bughdadi Masjid Ground (Martin Quarters); Double Road adjacent Lines Area opp. Missile Chowrangi, Karachi; Kabbadi Ground known as China Ground Block-6 near Rangers Office, PECHS; Nishtar Park; Tharow Land Garden West; Wednesday Bazar Sector-6 J-1 Junejo Town; Osama Ground UC-5, Block-18, Karachi Administration Society, Karachi; Mahmoodabad No. 2 Green Belt known as Sunday Bazar.
Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town: Sunday Bazar Ground opposite Safari Park; Zikri Goth adjacent to Pahelwan Goth.
Shah Faisal Town: Green Belt Shah Faisal Colony No. 2; Gymkhana Ground Rafa-e-Aam.
Malir Town: RCD Football Stadium, Saudabad Malir Colony, Karachi; Golden Football ground Khokhrapar No. 1 Malir Town, Karachi; Chatai Football Ground Malir Mandi Malir City, Karachi.
Korangi Town: Eidgaha Ground Koranig No. 3 ½.
Landhi Town: Police Ground near Police Station Landhi-4; Football Stadium near UC-1 Office Muzaffarabad Colony.
Gadap Town: Ahmed Dawood Football Ground Deh Chunar; Stadium of Memon Goth adjacent to TMO Office; Jelari Model Park Gadap City; Football Ground near Noorani Hotel Deh Bund Murad.
Bin Qasim Town: Vacant Plot (MDA) near Razzaqabad Training Center opposite Afzal Motors; Vacant plot near Gulshan-e-Hadeed opposite New Sabzi Mandi; Vacant Plot near Government Hospital Rehri Village; Football Ground Ibrahim Hyderi.
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