NA-241 (Karachi-III) is in the grips of militants and hounded by ethnic strife, where Taliban launched a number of attacks on electoral campaigns of various political parties. This constituency encompasses areas of District West, including Metroville, Mastan Chali, Bawani Chali, Pathan Colony, Banaras, Frontier Colony, Darwesh Mohallah, Ilahi Colony, Mominabad, Quaid-e-Awam and Turi Bangash.
SITE Town's Sector 4-D, 5-D and E are also in this constituency. This western constituency largely falls in an industrial zone, employing labourers in export-oriented manufacturing units. Lack of development over two previous local bodies' governments haunts the entire area and even during the past coalition government in Sindh.
Demographically, this constituency is evenly divided between Pukhtuns and Urdu-speaking people. A majority of the population living here is related to the labour industry, private businesses and industrial sector. Over the past decade, the area lost its former political activism after the country joined the US war on terror in Afghanistan.
The area shows a high level of religious polarisation and militant factor is also dominant here, leaving elements advocating left-wing politics as outcasts. Primary issues of both Pashtun and Urdu-speaking communities are lawlessness, unemployment, poor health and education systems, and lack of access to public sector representatives.
Over the past five years, ethnic tensions have multiplied greatly, but militants claiming to be Taliban are threatening the fragile political system there. The secular ANP is the most affected political party by Taliban attacks in recent days: a number of its workers died and were injured in this western locality of the city.
The ANP has lost its key figures in the area to Taliban-fuelled violence in recent years. MQM also faced bomb attacks on its election offices in the run up to the polls. The PPP electoral presence is almost negligible. However, JUI-F and JI, two right-wing religious political parties, enjoy public support. They are able to openly hold meetings without any threat.
This National Assembly seat is likely to be mainly contested between MQM, JI, PPP and ANP candidates. The public support for the ANP is gradually decreasing since it allied itself with the MQM against the Taliban threat. The area's political outlook mainly changed after the military operation in the Swat Valley, which brought an influx of outlaws from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to seek shelter here. Underdevelopment and lack of jobs also contributed to increasing uncertainty in this locality.
For the past five years, the situation remained disturbed in this area, mainly plagued by spontaneous ethnic and political tensions. The uncertain situation, however, helped JUI-F consolidate its vote bank. MQM is also a key political group with a large vote bank in the constituency. Its political drive in the area was said to have been low-key after attacks allegedly mounted by militant.
Although the PPP was forced to minimise its presence, the JI cast a wider political net, attracting public with its slogan of peace. PTI and MQM-Haqiqi would have to do a lot show their presence. The total population of this constituency is 494,896. Legal votes are 201,562, of which 121,209 are male and 80,353 female. The constituency is divided into two provincial assembly seats, including PS-93 and PS-94.
On NA 241, Syed Akherul Iqbal Qadri of MQM, Dr Saeed Ahmed Afridi of PTI, Syed Kamran Darwesh of ANP, Shakeel Ahmed of MQM-H, Ali Ahmed of PPP, Muhammad Laeeque Khan of JI, and Maulana Misbahul Alam Mullahkhel of JUI-F are key contenders. On PS-93, Basheer Jan of ANP, Syed Akbar Shah of JUI-F, Syed Hafeezuddin of PTI, Shafeeque Dad of MQM, Siddique Akber of PPP and Abdul Razzaq of JI are the main candidates. PS-93's population is 250,894. There are 97,842 voters here with 61,345 male and 36,497 female. Pakhtuns dominate in PS-93 and likely to vote for anyone but of their own community to solve their long-running problems.
On PS-94, Asif Aziz of PTI, Rashid Yousuf Baloch of PPP, Salman Ali Hussaini of MWM, Saifuddin Khalid of MQM, Amir Shahzad of ANP, Muhammad Arfi Khan of MQM-H, and Muhammad Mukhtar of JI are contesting. The total population in PS-94 is 244,003. Legal voters are 103,720, of which males are 59,864 and 43,856 females. Urdu speaking community is the other major ethnic group in this constituency.
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