Karachi, Pakistan’s most populous city with 6,036,955 registered voters, will hold its first polls after the 2013 paramilitary operation against street crime and terrorism.
For the taking are 21 national and 44 provincial assembly constituencies.
Unlike Punjab, where the contest is expected to be a two-way fight between the previously ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the opposing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Sindh province, and Karachi in particular, has a potpourri of political parties in the running.
The most prominent of these are The Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Sarzameen Party (PSP).
Contenders from the Muttahida Majlis–e–Amal (MMA) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are also in the hotly contested race. Then, there are new political parties emerging from the urban forest, as well as independent candidates.
Karachi is also the only city that has fielded all three aspirants for prime minister: Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Delimitation impact
The recent post-census delimitation has vastly altered the electoral landscape of the metropolis, although it remains to be seen to what extent it would influence the results.
The city comprises six districts; Central, West, East, South, Korangi and Malir.
Malir’s previous single seat share has increased to three.
In another development, Karachi West has become the largest of six districts, by replacing Central, home to the Urdu-speaking community of the city.
It won’t be wrong to state that with its meaty share of five NA seats and 11 provincial assembly seats, the district has taken a pivotal position in the electoral dynamics of the city.
Meanwhile, Karachi Central, considered to be a stronghold of MQM, has witnessed a decrease in its provincial seat share with eight provincial assembly seats — instead of the previous ten. There are four NA seats up for grab from this district as well.
Karachi South has been given two NA and five provincial assembly seats. Moreover, one seat each from the two houses has been cut from the district.
Karachi East maintains four while Korangi has three NA seats. Korangi, East and Malir have seven, eight and five provincial assembly seats respectively.
Geo.tv breaks down the list of challengers:
Malir
NA-236 (Malir 1): Gadap Sub-Division, Bin Qasim Sub-Division, Shah Mureed Sub-Division, Ibrahim Hyderi Sub-Division
Main candidates: Jam Abdul Karim Jokhio (PPP), Dewan Chand Chawla (MQM-P), Abdul Rahim Shah (PML-N), Somar Burfat (MMA) and Salim Shah (ANP)
NA-237 (Malir 2): Airport Sub-Division, Faisal Cantonment, Malir Cantonment
Main candidates: Abdul Hakeem Baloch (PPP), Afaq Jamal (PSP), Dr Nadeem Maqbool (MQM-P), Zainul Abdieen Ansari (PML-N), Muhammad Islam (MMA) and Abdul Aziz Khan (ANP)
NA-238 (Malir 3): Ibrahim Hyderi Sub-Division, Korangi Creek Cantonment
Candidates: Agha Rafiullah (PPP), Rao Muhammad Zubair (PSP), Naeem Adil Shiekh (PTI), Gulfaraz Khan Khattak (MQM-P), Syed Shah Mehmood Shah (PML-N) and Muhammad Islam (MMA)
Korangi
NA-239 (Korangi 1): Shah Faisal Sub-Division, Model Colony Sub-Division
Candidates: Syed Imran Haider Abidi (PPP), Nadeem Razi (PSP), Khawaja Sohail Mansoor (MQM-P), Muhammad Haleem Khan Ghauri (MMA)
NA-240 (Korangi 2): Landhi Sub-Division, Korangi Sub-Division
Candidates: Shaikh Muhammed Feroz (PPP), Syed Asif Hasnain (PSP), Iqbal Muhammad Ali (MQM-P) and Abdul Jamil Khan (MMA)
NA-241 (Korangi 3): Korangi Sub Division, Korangi Creek Cantonment, Landhi Sub-Division
Candidates: Moazzam Ali Qureshi (PPP), Danish Khan (PSP), Faheem Khan (PTI), Moin Amir Pirzada (MQM-P) and Saleem Hussain (MMA)
Karachi East
NA-242 (Karachi East 1): Gulzar-e-Hijri Sub-Division
Candidates: Iqbal Sandh (PPP), Barrister Hassan Sabir (PSP), Kishwar Zehra (MQM-P) and Asadullah Bhutto (MMA)
NA-243 (Karachi East 2): Gulshan-e-Iqbal Sub Division, Jamshed Quarters Sub Division
Candidates: Imran Khan (PTI), Shehla Raza (PPP), Muzammil Qureshi (PSP), Ali Raza Abidi (MQM-P) and Osama Razi (MMA)
NA-244 (Karachi East 3): Faisal Cantonment, Ferozabad Sub-Division
Candidates: Col Asad Alam Niazi (PPP), Saeed Shafiq (PSP), Ali Haider Zaidi (PTI), Abdul Rauf Siddiqui (MQM-P), Zahid Saeed (MMA) and Miftah Ismail (PML-N)
NA-245 (Karachi East 4): Jamshed Quarters Sub Division, Ferozabad Sub-Division
Farrukh Niaz Tanoli (PPP), Dr Sagheer Ahmed (PSP), Amir Liaquat Hussain (PTI), Dr Farooq Sattar (MQM-P) and Saifuddin (MMA)
Karachi South
NA-246 (South 1): Lyari Sub-Division, Garden Sub-Division
Candidates: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (PPP), Ejaz Ahmed Baloch (PSP), Mehfooz Yar Khan (MQM-P) and Maulana Noorul Haq (MMA)
NA-247 (South 2): Sub-Division Arambagh, Sub-Division Saddar, Karachi Cantonment, Sub-Division Civil Lines, Clifton Cantonment, Garden Sub-Division
Candidates: Abdul Aziz Memon (PPP), Fauzia Kasuri (PSP), Dr Arif Alvi (PTI), Dr Farooq Sattar (MQM-P) and Muhammad Hussain Mehanti (MMA)
Karachi West
NA-248 (West 1): Sub-Division Harbour, Sub-Division Maripur, Manora Cantonment, Baldia Sub-Division, SITE Sub-Division
Candidates: Abdul Qadir Patel (PPP), Yousuf Shahwani (PSP), Afshan Imran (MQM-P), Qari Usman (MMA) and Bashir Ahmed (ANP)
NA-249 (West-2): Baldia Sub-Division, Sub-Division Mominabad
Candidates: Qadir Khan Mandokhel (PPP), Dr Fauzia (PSP), Faisal Vawda (PTI), Aslam Shah (MQM-P), Syed Attaullah Shah (MMA) and Shehbaz Sharif (PML-N)
NA-250 (West-3): Sub-Division SITE, Orangi Sub Division
Candidates: Ali Ahmed (PPP), Syed Hafeezuddin (PSP), Fayaz Qaimkhani (MQM-P), Hafiz Naeemur Rehman (MMA) and Shahi Syed (ANP)
NA-251 (West-4): Mominabad Sub-Division, Orangi Sub-Division
Candidates: Haji Muhammed Jameel Zia (PPP), Muhammad Nehal Malik (PSP), Aminul Haq (MQM-P) and Muhammad Laeeq Khan (MMA)
NA-252 (West-5): Sub-Division Manghopir, Sub-Division Mominabad
Candidates: Iftikhar Randhawa (PSP), Abdul Qadir Khanzada (MQM-P) and Abdul Majeed Khaskheli (MMA)
Karachi Central
NA-253 (Central-1): New Karachi Sub-Division
Candidates: Amjadullah Khan (PPP), Syed Mustafa Kamal (PSP), Osama Qadri (MQM-P) and Munim Zafar Khan (MMA)
NA-254 (Central-2): Gulberg Sub-Division, Sub-Division New Karachi, Sub-Division Liaquatabad
Candidates: Danish Turabi (PPP), Dr Arshad Vohra (PSP), Shiekh Salahuddin (MQM-P) and Rashid Naseem (MMA)
NA-255 (Central -3): Sub-Division Liaquatabad, Sub-Division Nazimabad
Candidates: Zafar Siddiqui (PPP), Dr Jameel Rathor (PSP), Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui (MQM-P) and Muhammad Mustaqeem Qureshi (MMA)
NA-256 (Central-4): Sub-Division North Nazimabad
Candidates: Sajid Hassan (PPP), Adil Siddiqui (PSP), Amir Chishti (MQM-P) and Dr Mairajul Huda (MMA).