No seat adjustment with PML-N on NA-242 Keamari: MQM-P

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) clarified on Saturday that there has been no agreement for seat adjustment with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for the NA-242 constituency in district Keamari.

In a statement to Geo News, the party’s spokesperson dismissed all reports suggesting seat adjustment with the Shehbaz Sharif-led party in the mentioned constituency as “unfounded.” The spokesperson emphasized that MQM-P Senior Deputy Convenor Mustafa Kamal is the designated candidate for the seat.

Anticipated Competition in NA-242 Earlier today, The News highlighted that elections in the Baldia Town constituency in Karachi are poised to be a compelling contest due to the notable candidates participating, including former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is expected to contest elections for the seat once again, in addition to running in a Lahore constituency.

This sets up a competition between Shehbaz and the former Karachi mayor and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Qadir Khan Mandokhail, the previous representative from the former NA-249 constituency.

In the 2018 general elections, Shehbaz engaged in a closely contested battle with the then-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Faisal Vawda, ultimately won by Vawda with a narrow margin.

The PPP secured this seat from the PTI in 2021 after the former PTI politician resigned following his Senate election. PPP’s Mandokhail emerged victorious, defeating the joint candidate of PML-N and Pakistan Democratic Movement, Miftah Ismail, who had served as a finance minister in the Shehbaz-led government the previous year.

In 2018, Mustafa Kamal participated in the by-poll while leading the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), which has since merged with the MQM-P. In the upcoming elections, Kamal will be the MQM-P’s candidate, as reported by The News.