KARACHI   -   Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) has announced to support Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) candidate Muhammad Abu Bakar in the upcoming by-election for the NA-240 constituency, it was learnt on Monday.
The National Assembly seat comprising areas of Landhi and Korangi had fallen vacant after the death of the MQM-P’s lawmaker and senior leader Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan on April 19.
Moreover, MQM-P has decided to hold a public rally in NA-240 constituency on June 14, the last day for electioneering.
The by-election in NA-240 Karachi will be held on June 16. The MQM-P’s Khan had won the NA-240 seat in the 2018 general elections by securing 61,165 votes, defeating the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) candidate, who had bagged 30,535 votes.
Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) chief Afaq Ahmed had bagged over 14,000 votes, and the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Mohammad Feroze had received over 7,000 votes. In the 2013 and 2008 general elections, the then MQM’s Asif Hasnain had won the constituency, which was NA-255 at that time, by a great margin.
In the 2002 general elections, the MQM-H’s Mahmood Ahmed Qureshi had won the constituency, but after his death due to a heart attack, the MQM’s Dr Farooq Sattar had won the seat in the by-polls.
NA-240 comprises various areas of Landhi that fall under district Korangi. The constituency was previously part of the former NA-255 and various areas of former NA-254. NA-240 is mainly dominated by Urdu speakers, but people from other ethnicities also live there.
The NA-240 (Korangi Karachi II) seat has total of 529,855 voters. The electoral body has set up 100 polling stations for male voters, 99 PS for women voters and 110 joint polling stations for the by-election under its polling scheme.