In a Remarkable Win in electoral contest, the PTI seemed to have affixed a stamp of credibility on its rather outlandish win in Karachi in the 2018 elections. Voters voted for NA-245 seat that fell vacant due to the demise of Aamir Liaqat Hussain. All parties of the ruling coalition supported the MQM candidate for the seat but it came unstuck as the PTI candidate bagged the seat with considerable winning margin.
Though the voter turn-out was a miserly five per cent but the PTI was successful in getting its committed cadre to come out and vote. The vote of the parties opposing the PTI candidate was hopelessly divided as veteran MQM leader Farooq Sattar was not given the ticket due to virtually irreconcilable differences with the current MQM leadership.
TLP also played the role of a classic spoiler by taking a considerable chunk of vote though it did not matter in the end. Independent observers however opined that it was a tacit boycott of the leading parties of the ruling coalition that ultimately emerged as the winner. Apparently, the MQM has lost its uniting glue and it appears that the next elections in Karachi would be free-for-all. TW
