KARACHI, May 8: Malir is the largest of five districts of Karachi in terms of area, where unlike the rest of the city major players are running their otherwise dull election campaigns on two National Assembly and five provincial assembly seats in a relatively peaceful atmosphere.

While the Urdu-speaking community dominates urban parts of the district, Malir, an urban-rural blend, has an overwhelming population of Sindhi and Baloch people who have voted for the Pakistan Peoples Party in the last many elections.With just 765,728 registered votes, the two NA constituencies —NA- 257 and 258 — and five PA seats — PS- 121, 127, 128, 129 and 130 — in Malir district comprise areas that fell within the now defunct towns of Malir, Gadap and Bin Qasim. Malir Cantonment is also a part of the district.

The defunct Malir Town was run by a Jamaat-i-Islami-backed nazim after the 2001 local government elections and then an MQM-backed nazim ran the town following the 2005 LG elections. However, for about nine years the Gadap and Bin Qasim towns remained in the grasp of PPP-backed nazims.

Results of the 2008 general elections suggested that no party is enjoying full control over the district politics. The PPP had bagged one NA seat and two PA seats, the MQM got one NA and two PA seat and the fifth PA seat was bagged by the Awami National Party.

In the 2002 general elections, the MQM got one PA seat i.e. PS-121, which is partially divided between district east and Malir. The PPP had won two PA seats and the remaining two were bagged one each by a Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, a six-party religious alliance, candidate and an independent contestant.

And this time some new entrants, such as the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the JI, the Muttahida Deeni Mahaz (MDM), of which the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat is a part, may challenge the electoral dominance of the MQM and the ANP on the two PA seats (PS-127 and 128) they had previously won.

None of these parties, however, can make any significant impact on the results of the two NA constituencies, as it is expected that the MQM and PPP candidates would sail through the elections on NA- 257 and 258, respectively. The Majlis-i-Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) is seen as a vote spoiler, as it is expected that its candidate on NA-257 may attract votes from some Shia-dominated localities.

A visit to the NA-257 constituency showed that the MQM and the JI had hung their banners and posters inscribed with their candidates’ names and elections symbols (kite and scales) at all prominent places. The overhead bridge at Kala Board is adorned with tricolour MQM flags, while banners of JI candidate Tofiquddin Siddiqui are put up on every street pole along the main road.

Roadside camps have been set up by both the MQM and the JI. But unlike the previous elections, no major public meeting has been held in the constituency by any party.

Malir Cantonment also falls in the NA-257 constituency. A large number of voters are living there, but inside the walled locality there is no election activity.

Publicity material of both the MQM and the JI is missing on NA-258. The reasons are quite clear: the MQM has no hope of winning the seat and the JI has not fielded its candidate in the constituency.

NA-258 has always been as a PPP stronghold. However, it appears that this time the party is facing a big challenge from the rival PML-N, as Hakeem Baloch, who recently quit the PPP, is contesting elections against PPP candidate Abdul Razzaq Raja.

Banners inscribed with a bicycle, the election symbol of the PML-Q, were also seen on some spots of the NA-258, from where the party’s candidate Haleem Adil Shaikh is contesting elections with the support of a local alliance.

However, roadside teashops, eateries, truck stands, shops, etc, are adorned with banners and posters inscribed with arrow, the PPP’s election symbol, and tricolour PPP flags.

The presence of the MQM in NA-258 is only felt in Gulshan-i-Maymar, which is dominated by Urdu-speaking people, where kite models, party flags and posters are put up. The provincial assembly constituency in Gulshan-i-Maymar is PS-97, whose more than 85 per cent area falls in district west.

NA-257 The number of voters in NA-257 is 372,976 — 194,852 male and 178,124 female. A total of 236 polling stations are set up in the constituency.

The constituency comprises Malir, Khokhrapar, Kala Board, Saudabad, Indus Colony, Ammar Yasir Society, Jaffar-i-Tayyar Society, Malir Cantonment, Quaidabad, Qazzafi Colony, Cattle Colony, Daud Chali Landhi, Sabir Colony, Jinnah Colony, Adam Hangora Goth, Aasu Goth, Sahib Dad Goth.

Nineteen candidates are in the run on NA-257 and prominent among them are Sajid Ahmed of the MQM, Nasim Khan of the PPPP, Farooq Khan of the PTI, Syed Hasan Jaffer Rizvi of the MWM.

The MQM’s Sajid Ahmed had won the 2008 elections by securing 134,498 votes. His closest rival was the PPP’s Riaz Hussain Baloch, who bagged 46,084 votes.

The turnout in the last elections was over 48.75 per cent.The NA constituency has two provincial assembly constituencies — PS- 121 and 127.In the 2008 general elections, MQM’s Waseem Ahmed won PS-121 seat by securing 73,680 votes. PS-127 was bagged by MQM’s Nisar Ahmed Panhwar, The PA seats were secured by PPP’s Abdullah Murad and MMA’s Maulana Ahsanullah Hazarvi in the 2002 general elections.

This time the MQM has fielded Syed Nadim Razi from PS-121 and Ashfaq Ahmed Mangi for PS-127. The PPP has fielded Syed Khawar Abbas Shah and Ashraf Sammo from the two seats. The PTI is also in the run on the two seats.

NA-258 The number of voters in NA-258 is 392,752 — 232,005 male and 160,747 female. There are 287 polling stations in the constituency.

The constituency comprises Gadap, Bin Qasim, Kathor, Gulshan-i-Maymar, Labour Colony, Gulshan-i-Hadeed, Muzaffarabad Colony (Landhi), Majid Colony, Bilal Colony, TNT Colony, Ibrahim Hyderi and several Dehs in the outskirts of Malir and Gadap.

Twenty-nine candidates are in the run on NA-258. Prominent among them are Abdul Razzaq Raja of the PPPP, Ahmed Gabol of the MQM, Abdul Hakeem Baloch of the PML-N. Former Gadap Town nazim Ghulam Murtaza Baloch was contesting election as an independent candidate, but later withdrew in favour of the PPP’s Raja.

The PPP’s Sher Muhammad Baloch had won the 2008 elections by securing 134,696 votes. His closest candidate was the MQM’s Nisar Ahmed Shar, who got 15,017 votes.The turnout in the previous election was 41.03 per cent.

There are three provincial assembly constituencies — PS- 128, 129 and 130.

The ANP’s Amanullah Mehsud had emerged victorious on PS-128.

The ANP has nominated Mr Mehsud for PS-128, from where Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqi of the ASWJ is also taking part in the elections from the MDM platform. Maulana Ahsanullah Takarvi of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl is also in the run.

The PA seats —PS-129 and 130 — were won by PPP candidates Haji Muzaffar Ali Shujra and Sajid Jokhio in the 2008 general elections.

An independent candidate, Mehmood Alam Jamote, had won the 2002 elections on PS-129.

This time the PPPP has fielded Mohammad Rafiq Jat for PS-129 and repeated Mr Jokhio for PS-130. The MQM, the PTI, the JI and others have also fielded their candidates for the two PA seats.