In an unexpected development ahead of the February 8 general elections, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQMP) have failed to agree on seat adjustment in National Assembly constituency NA-242 (District Keamari).
According to the latest move, the PML-N — former ruling party — withdrew the nomination papers of its President Shehbaz Sharif from NA-242 at the 11th hour and fielded Khawaja Shoaib in the constituency, where he would face MQM-P Senior Deputy Convener Syed Mustafa Kamal — the former Karachi mayor.
Earlier, reports were circulating on mainstream and social media that the MQM-P is likely to withdraw Kamal from the NA-242 in favour of the PML-N.
Talking to journalists outside the office of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), PML-N leader Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan confirmed that the former prime minister would not contest form NA-242, saying: “No candidate can contest for more than two seats.”
He further added, “I have come to withdraw the nomination papers of Shehbaz Sharif.”
On the other hand, the MQM-P gave its go-ahead to Ali Khursheedi to contest the upcoming elections from PS-119 (Karachi-West).
It is pertinent to mention here that Shehbaz on December 29 had announced filing his nomination papers for the polls from Karachi’s NA-242 constituency.
He had contested from the NA-249 constituency — as per the previous delimitation — of Karachi in the 2018 general elections which he lost to Faisal Vawda, the then-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, by a slight margin.
A few days back it was reported that the MQM-P had entered seat adjustment with the PML-N for three NA constituencies.
Sources told Geo News on Tuesday that apart from Shehbaz, the PML-N would field its candidates on five NA seats — including NA-229, 230, and 239 — as well as 11 provincial assembly seats within these constituencies.
Meanwhile, the MQM-P candidates would contest polls for the national and provincial assembly seats from Malir’s NA-231 constituency, they said.
However, MQM-P Convenor Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on January 10 denied the reports of any seat adjustment with the PML-N for the NA-242 constituency in Karachi.
“There is no truth to the reports pertaining to the seat adjustment in NA-242 Karachi,” Siqqdiui said, adding that Mustafa Kamal was contesting as MQM-P candidate from the constituency.
The well-informed sources claimed that seat adjustments reached between the two parties were still intact, apart from NA-242. However, the sources within the MQM-P said that Shehbaz’s move was unexpected for the party leadership. Rift emerged between the two parties when the PML-N refused to withdraw from the two provincial assembly seats falling under NA-242 in favour of the MQM-P, they added.
