Pakistan: Muttahida Qaumi Movement boycotts elections in Karachi

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Karachi’s NA-245 constituency witnessed silence in polling booths as the members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) successfully boycotted the elections.

The poll was held on Aug 21, after the seat fell vacant due to the demise of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain.

For Karachi’s NA-245 constituency, only 11.8 per cent of voters turned for voting. The total number of registered voters in the constituency was 515,003 but only 60,760 votes were cast due to a boycott on the appeal of the founder and leader of MQM Altaf Hussain.

Hussain in his video message appealed to the people of the constituency to boycott these by-elections and told the people that all kinds of restrictions have been imposed on the political, organizational and welfare activities of the MQM, the right and true representative party of the people. And it is being made a state atrocities factory, its head office is unconstitutionally and illegally sealed, and it is not even allowed to recite Fatiha for its martyrs.

MQM leader’s letters, handbills and pamphlets were also distributed by MQM workers in the constituency asking people to boycott the by-election.

Generally, at the time of polling, there are queues of voters at the polling stations and there is a crowd at the polling camps, but on the appeal of Hussain people boycotted the poll, and no rush was seen at the polling station, while the polling camps set up by the political parties in the area were remained empty.

In the 2018 election, PTI got 56,615 votes, but this time due to the boycott, it could only get 29,475 votes. While MQM Pakistan, a group formed by the military establishment to break the party, could get only 13,193 votes.

The representatives of all the electronic and print media in their reports have specifically mentioned the lack of interest of the voters in the by-election. Dawn, the largest English daily in the country, quoted a citizen in its report, “After MQM London’s non-participation call, the excitement pretty much died down. Otherwise, you would have definitely seen more enthusiasm among the voters.”

Daily Jang Karachi in its report said that MQM’s boycott cannot be ignored in the results of the by-elections. Many anchors and analysts also admitted in their comments and analysis that just as the by-elections held a few months ago on the National Assembly Constituency NA240 in the Korangi area of Karachi were successfully boycotted by the people on the appeal of Hussain, due to which the voter turnout was 8.36.

Similarly, people successfully boycotted NA-245 in Karachi’s Lines area, PIB, Society and others on Hussain’s appeal, due to which the turnout was 11.8.

Meanwhile, the MQM leader in his video message, said that the state-sponsored group, which received wealth, arms and all kinds of support, participated in this election. “I had appealed to the people of this constituency to boycott the election and the people saw that the support of all state institutions and governments aside and MQM, which I am the leader of, people were with me yesterday and are still with me today.”

Hussain said that people’s mouths can be closed, their voices can be silenced, and they can be imprisoned through state power but their hearts cannot be won. He further added that the people have once again proved that they were with Hussain yesterday, they are still with him today and God willing they will be with him till the end.

Hussain said, “I am thankful to Allah that he has honoured me. He offered his beloved salute to the people and the workers belonging to this constituency for the historic boycott.”

MQM leader said that it is his prayer that the ban on the party would be removed, the Nine-Zero would be re-opened, “MQM could once again continue its political activities freely and the people would be able to celebrate their happiness.” (ANI)