Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) will be engaged in the most-interesting electoral battle in Karachi on Wednesday (today) to prove their claim of being the true representative of Urdu-speaking community of the city. Both parties would be put on the real test to woo voters into their favour since the changed political landscape of Karachi. Both parties' origin is the same, though both now deserted their past association with a party, whose founding leader has been banned in Pakistan after his anti-country slogans.
Though, PSP would also in tough test to grab the national and provincial assemblies seats in Karachi, however MQM-P has to prove that it can still float on the rough sea of politics in Karachi after it disassociated itself from its founding leader on March 23, 2016.
The Urdu-speaking community glued to MQM for more than three decades by securing astonishing record number of votes. MQM-P is now an umbrella of second-tier leaders of former MQM and would face the first test after its rebirth almost two years back.
PSP is led by former City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, who jumped into politics of Karachi at the platform of MQM. Having a track record of development work in his tenure as Karachi Nazim, Mustafa Kamal disappeared from the political scene after last general elections.
Following sleepy two years, Mustafa Kamal created ripples in the political scene of Karachi when he flew back to Karachi in March 2016 and in an explosive press conference, he burst out against his former leader, the founder of MQM.
Mustafa formed PSP in a short span of two months and in short period of two years, his party is now facing the first test after its formation to prove its credentials of true representatives of Karachi's electorate.
PSP, though claim of not restricting itself to Urdu-speaking community and have the wider approach to include all linguistic communities in its fold, however the hierarchy and structure of the party is still dominated by Urdu-speaking community.
According to contests on different seats of Karachi, PSP is more active on the seats dominated by MQM in past and it has little relevance in the constituencies dominated by the linguistics groups other than the Urdu speaking community.
The elections will be held on 21 national assembly and 43 provincial assembly seats. MQM-P fielded its candidates on all the seats of national assembly. PSP also fielded its candidates on all national assembly seats in Karachi.
Both parties, however, are eyeing the seats, which are dominated Urdu-speaking people in District Central, Korangi, East. Both parties have fielded their strong candidates on the seats, which have been traditionally grabbed by MQM in the past.
PSP's chief Mustafa Kamal will face MQM's Osama Qadri on NA-253, MQM-P Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui will be contesting on NA-255 on face Jameel Rathore of PSP and Dr Farooq Sattar of MQM will fight against Fuzia Kasuri of PSP on Na-247 and Dr Sagheer Ahmed of PSP on NA-245.