Who rules Sindh in 2023?

Tough contest likely between PTI and PPP in the local body, general elections

Political sentiments in the upcoming general elections in urban Sindh appear in PTI’s favour after it secured majority seats in the by-elections, however, the ruling PPP will give it a tough fight in rural areas.

The PPP swept the local government elections in rural and urban areas in the first phase. But the PTI MPA Khurram Sher Zaman is confident of getting even more seats than in the last general elections. “2023 is the year of PTI in Sindh. After Punjab, KP, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir; we will form our government in Sindh,” Zaman claimed.

According to the MQM-P’s MPA Muhammad Hussain, who is also a member of the Coordination Committee, said the local government elections will decide the future of political parties.

A former MPA and senior leader of the MQM-P Mehfooz Yar Khan confirmed the process of merging various factions of the MQM. “If the formula is successful, all the factions will come under the flag and will contest on the symbol of Kite.”

The ruling PPP seems unfazed by the upcoming local government elections on January 15. Senator Waqar Mehdi claims that the PPP position in Karachi and Hyderabad remains sound and the results will be no different than phase one. “The PPP is never afraid of elections. We have done a lot of work for the betterment of the province.” Strangely enough, the same party sought the postponement of local government elections last week.

President ANP Sindh Shahi Syed has a different perspective. “The political and economic situation has gone worse and will take at least four to five years to recover,” he added. “The PPP is doing the same what Altaf Hussain did to this city.”

PMLN’s spokesman and former senator Nehal Hashmi said his party has given so many projects to Karachi. “We will emerge as the second largest party in the local government elections,” Hashmi added. He said that the people were dejected by the PPP’s performance during floods while it failed to deliver in urban areas including Karachi. “I guess Imran Khan will lose ground once the emotional wave subsides.”

Khurram Sher Zaman of PTI said, “Imran Khan told me personally that he is going to start his election campaign from Sindh within the next couple of months.”

He confessed that his party had made mistakes by not nominating its candidates in many constituencies. “We won’t repeat those errors now,” Zaman said.