PTI leading every survey in Karachi's NA-249: Firdous Shamim Naqvi

• PTI leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi talks about PTI's chances in the NA-249 by-poll, currently underway in Karachi.
• Says PTI is leading in every survey related to the NA-249 constituency.
• Balloting for the by-election in the NA-249 constituency started at 8am and will continue till 5pm without any interval.

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KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is leading in every survey related to the NA-249 constituency of Karachi, PTI leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi told Geo News on Thursday.

He said that the competition stays fierce until the last vote is counted. Speaking about Faisal Vawda, he said Vawda had improved and worked in the NA-249 constituency after it was neglected for 20 years.

About PPP, Naqvi said that the party had entered the playing field only two weeks ago. "I have heard that PPP has done a lot of work," he said.

NA-249 by-poll: Voting begins as all major political rivals vie for crucial Karachi seat

Balloting for the by-election in the NA-249 constituency started at 8am and will continue till 5pm without any interval. The National Assembly seat fell vacant after Vawda resigned.

The Sindh government has announced a public holiday today (Thursday, April 29) to facilitate voters.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has deployed special staff for strict implementation of coronavirus guidelines as long as the polling process continues.

There are 30 candidates in the electoral arena, including PML-N’s Miftah Ismail, PTI's Amjad Afridi, PPP'S Qadir Khan Mandokhel, Karachi’s former mayor Mustafa Kamal and MQM's Hafiz Mursaleen, besides 18 independent candidates.

NA 249 by-election: Here's what you need to know about the constituency

There are over 339,000 registered voters in NA-249, including 201,656 male and 137,935 female voters, who are casting their votes on 276 polling stations. The ECP has declared 184 polling stations highly sensitive and 92 others sensitive.