KARACHI: Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) on Sunday announced its intention to contest the upcoming by-election on the National Assembly constituency NA-249 Karachi (West-II).
The seat was left vacant due to the resignation of Minister for Water Resources Senator Faisal Vawda.
PSP chief Mustafa Kamal and leaders Syed Hafeezuddin and Humayun Usman have received nomination papers for the election, scheduled to take place on April 29.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former finance minister Miftah Ismail and Sindh president of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Nisar Khuhro have also received nomination papers.
NA-249 is considered to be the safest seat for the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) from where its leader Dr Farooq Sattar thrice returned to the national assembly and twice returned to provincial assembly seats.
It is the only constituency in the defunct district south where the MQM-P continues to dominate the electoral scene since 1988, with an exception in 1993 when the party had boycotted the national assembly polls.
Majority of the population in this constituency of Memons, Marwaris, Ganchis, and Gujratis with a sizable number of Baloch, Sindhi, Lasi, and Urdu-speaking people.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced a ban on transfers and postings of the government officials in the constituency, while the announcement of development schemes is also prohibited in line with the election policy.
The ECP has stated that the candidates can submit their nomination papers from March 13 to March 17, following which a final list of candidates will be displayed.
Scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on March 25 while appeals against rejection or acceptance of papers could be filed on March 29 and a decision on these would be announced on April 6.
Candidates can withdraw their nomination papers by April 7 and the election symbol will be allotted on April 8. Polling for the by-election will be held on April 29.
