Election violence has increased significantly in the last few days in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. General elections are to be held in Pakistan on 8 February. This has already led to several clashes between parties competing for national and provincial assembly seats. Violent clashes broke out in Nazimanad on Monday in which one worker was killed and three others were injured.
Election violence has increased significantly in the last few days in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. General elections are to be held in Pakistan on 8 February. This has already led to several clashes between parties competing for national and provincial assembly seats.
Violent clashes broke out in Nazimanad on Monday, resulting in the death of a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM Pakistan) worker and three others injured during an exchange of fire with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) workers.
Lathi charge on PTI’s election rally
A day earlier on Sunday, heavy contingents of police lathi-charged, fired tear gas shells and forcibly dispersed an election rally of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan‘s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in Clifton area. Gave. At least 25 people including some policemen were injured in this disturbance.
The PPP’s stronghold in southern Sindh province, especially Karachi – which is also Pakistan’s financial hub – is facing a challenge as different parties compete fiercely in the upcoming elections.
PPP’s hold on Sindh and Karachi
The Bilawal Zardari-Bhutto-led PPP continues to hold on to Sindh and Karachi even as the Khan-led PTI formed the government in the last elections in 2018 and is expected to form the Shahbaz Sharif-led coalition government in 2022 after a no-confidence motion. PTI rule was abolished even during its formation. However, according to political observers, despite the enduring influence of the PPP in Sindh and Karachi, in the current political scenario, there is a possibility of a change in power dynamics.
PPP, MQM-P, PTI, Jamaat-e-Islami, and some independent candidates are the major players in the elections in Karachi. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has a limited stake in the port city and is focusing on other provinces.
Pre-poll violence in Karachi has intensified with the participation of former elected MQM members and its splinter groups as well as PTI members contesting as independent candidates. Since the election campaign began last week, there have been reports of clashes between supporters of PPP, PTI, and MQM-P in various areas.
