KARACHI: Farooq Sattar, a former senior member of the MQM, has emerged as the front runner for a joint candidate in the NA-45 by-poll in Karachi as the TLP factor has forced all the factions of the party to rethink their strategy, The News reported Saturday.
An MQM-P leader told the publication that the MQM-P, Sattar-led MQM Rehabilitation Committee, Afaq Ahmed-led MQM and Mustafa Kamal-led Pak Sarzameen Party are in contact for fielding joint a candidate in the upcoming local government polls and NA-245 by-polls.
The NA-245 seat fell vacant after the death of PTI MNA Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain and a by-election in this important constituency is scheduled on July 27.
PTI, which boycotted the June 16 by-election on NA-240, is also contesting, seeking to retain the seat and maintain its number in the National Assembly.
According to the publication, the TLP factor has forced the divided factions of MQM to field the party’s old guard as a joint candidate in the NA-245 by-polls.
The MQM-P’s candidate had managed to retain the party’s traditional constituency NA-240 with a narrow margin of 65 votes in the recently held by-polls, losing much of their vote bank to the TLP which stood second.
MQM-P leaders in their coordination committee meeting headed by the party’s convenor Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui discussed the possible strategy for the upcoming by-elections in NA-245.
A party’s spokesperson told The News that Siddiqui has also invited Sattar and other leaders to work with MQM-P.
The meeting, according to a statement, expressed serious concerns over the ongoing exploitation of urban Sindh and also raised questions over the unjustified delimitation of electoral constituencies in the province.
“Several other issues including the by-poll in NA-245 and local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad were also discussed in the meeting,” it added.
A formal announcement in this regard is expected today.
