NA-249 By-Polls Result: Votes Counting Continues For Assembly Constituency

Polling time has ended in the NA-249 constituency of Karachi while counting of votes is underway.

According to details, results of NA-249 by-elections, 87 out of 276 polling stations have been received.

According to unofficial results, Miftah Ismail of PML-N is leading with 4654 votes while Qadir Mandokhel of PPP is at the second position with 4420 votes and the TLP candidate is at the third position with 4116 votes.

Mustafa Kamal of PSP is at the fourth position with 2848 votes, Amjad Afridi of PTI is at the fifth position with 2789 votes and Hafiz Muhammad Mursalin of MQM is at the sixth position with 2261 votes.

On NA-249, 30 candidates including Amjad Iqbal Afridi of PTI, Miftah Ismail of PML-N, Qadir Khan Mandokhel of PPP, Mustafa Kamal of Pak Sarzamin Party and Hafiz Muhammad Mursalin of MQM Pakistan are in the fray.

The seat vacant following the resignation of PTI National Assembly member Faisal Vawda.

Polling for today’s by-election in the NA-249 constituency of Karachi continued uninterrupted till 5 pm.

Voters at the polling station were allowed to cast their votes even after the polling period ended, while the counting of votes began.

Strict security arrangements were made outside all the polling stations in the constituency, preparations at various polling stations were incomplete and polling could not start on time.

Ballot boxes could not be sealed at polling stations 249, 247, 246 and 241, while polling agents of political parties did not arrive on time due to non-commencement of polling at these polling stations.

The number of registered voters in NA-249 is more than 339,000, of which 211,656 are male voters and 137,935 are female voters.

276 polling stations were set up in the constituency out of which 184 polling stations were declared as highly sensitive while 92 polling stations were declared as sensitive.

CCTV cameras were also installed at the most sensitive polling stations.

The seat fell vacant following the resignation of PTI’s Faisal Wood, who resigned after winning the Senate election.

However, in the by-elections, prominent personalities like Muftah Ismail of PML-N, Amjad Afridi of PTI, Mustafa Kamal of Pak-Sar-Zamin Party, Hafiz Mursalin of MQM-Pakistan and Qadir Khan Mandokhel of PPP are in the fray. A total of 30 candidates, including 18 independents, are contesting in the constituency.

The Sindh government had today declared a holiday in NA-249.

The first vote was cast this morning at polling station No. 256 in Zia Colony.

The by-polls in NA-249 have been in full swing since morning, with queues of voters lined up outside various polling stations, and some voters being sent back without masks and identity cards.

The Provincial Election Commission (PEC) has denied reports of the presence of armed men at polling stations in today’s by-election in the NA-249 constituency of Karachi.

Provincial Election Commissioner Ijaz Anwar Chauhan said that the news of the presence of armed men in the polling stations is not correct.

He also said that information has been obtained from law enforcement agencies in this regard.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said that during the by-elections in Karachi today, five PTI MLAs were ordered to be left from NA-249.

According to the Election Commission, PTI MLAs Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Raja Azhar, Saeed Afridi, Bilal Ghaffar and Shah Nawaz Jadoon were present in the constituency.

The Election Commission took stern notice of the presence of these members of the Assembly and the violation of election laws.

A letter was written by the Election Commission to the police officials to ask these members of the Assembly to leave.

In connection with the by-polls in the NA-249 constituency of Karachi, the PML-N had requested the Election Commission to extend the polling time.

PML-N candidate Miftah Ismail had written a letter to the Provincial Election Commissioner requesting an extension of polling time, saying that the pace of polling was very slow due to the hottest day of Ramadan.

He had said in the letter that a large number of voters have not yet reached the polling station to cast their votes. Due to heat and fasting, voters will go out to cast their votes in the afternoon.

Miftah Ismail had requested the Election Commission to extend the polling time by two hours in the wider interest of the people.

PML-N’s request for extra time for voting in the constituency was sent to the Election Commission.

Media coverage was banned by the police at the polling station at Government Degree Girls College.

SP Baldia Captain (retd) Faizan Ali had ousted the media representatives.

However, police have since denied any such incident.

SP Baldia Capt (R) Faizan had said that the media representatives were not prevented from any kind of coverage.

He had said that journalists were gathered inside Baldia Madina Colony Government Girls High School. When the media finished its work, they were asked to reduce the rush inside the polling station.

SP Baldia Capt (R) Faizan further said that the personnel in my squad did not ask them to leave.

He also said that media personnel and journalists must have the permission of the Election Commission, and the police can be contacted on any complaint.

DRO Syed Nadeem Haider while talking to the media regarding the irregularities, said that there were no polling agents in some places, however, no complaint of delay in polling has come to light.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has ordered Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members Firdous Shamim Naqvi and Bilal Ghaffar to leave from NA-249 immediately.

The Regional Election Commissioner also wrote a letter to SSP Kemari and SSP West asking them to ensure that no members of the Assembly, Senators or Ministers visit NA-249.

The Election Commission said that all political parties should stop the members of the Assembly from visiting NA-249 and also prevent the members of the Assembly from participating in the election campaign of the candidates.

DRO Nadeem Haider had also said that non-discriminatory action would be taken against the violating Members assembly.

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