NA-245 by-election: PPP withdraws candidate in favour of MQM-P

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has withdrawn its candidate from Karachi’s NA-245 by-election in favour of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

The polling on this NA seat, which had fallen vacant after the death of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Amir Liaquat Hussain, is going to be held on August 21 (Sunday).

PPP leader Saeed Ghani said that the decision was made after consultation with ally parties in the federal government. Ally parties had decided that the party that came second in any constituency in 2018 polls, would be backed by all other parties in by-polls, he added.

After the withdrawal of the PPP from the contest, only two major political parties – PTI and MQM-P are in the ground to test their muscles.

The PTI has nominated Mahmood Moulvi, former special assistant to prime minister (SAPM) on maritime affairs, as its candidate for the by-poll, while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has fielded Moeed Anwar, former East district chairman.

PTI Sindh President and former federal minister Ali Haider Zaidi in a news conference at the party’s election office in the Solider Bazaar area claimed that the PTI will again win the consistency with a huge margin.

He said that Moulvi has been an active party member for the past many years, and has helped a lot in unearthing corruption in the ports & shipping ministry while serving as the SAPM.

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It is pertinent to mention here that the ties between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are said to be tense as the former on a number of occasions has criticised the latter for not implementing the agreement reached between the two parties in recent past.

Political pundits see the announcement of candidate’s withdrawal by the PPP as a bid to please the MQM-P, which is angry with the Sindh ruling party for not fulfilling its commitments.

The MQM-P has demanded the implementation of the Supreme Court decision regarding Article 140A of the constitution.

The Muttahida leaders took a firm stand on the issue and urged the PPP government to legalise the local bodies’ draft at the earliest.

They said, almost 100 days have passed, but things are slowing down. The MQM has demanded an amendment in the local government law so that civic bodies, authorities and departments could be handed over to the mayor and district chairmen. The Muttahida has demanded that local government revenue agencies should be given under the mayor. Issues related to KDA also came up in the meeting clause by clause.

The MQM committee members said that the PPP seems not interested in empowering the system but wants to do only cosmetic work. The PPP committee members want institutions to remain under the provincial government, said MQM-P members, and expressed strong reservation about delimitation of Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas. They said, holding election is not possible with the ‘unfair delimitation’.

According to sources, Muttahida leaders said, “We were asked a number of times to nominate party members for ministries, administrators, and chairmen of standing committees. These are all secondary things. The MQM wants legislation in local government act as per the court decision.”