Sindh is a PPP stronghold. No doubt about it. But things are perhaps changing as the PPP-P hasn’t been able to field candidates on several national and provincial constituencies in the province, including Karachi and interior Sindh.There are 61 National Assembly seats allotted to Sindh, however, the PPPhas is aspiring for 53 of these, meaning there are no party candidatesin the remaining eight.Similarly, the PPP-Parliamentarian [PPP-P] has issued party tickets to119 candidates for the 130 Sindh Assembly seats, leaving the 11 open tothe adversaries.The PPP-P always presents itself as the sole representative of women inPakistan. But the ground realities show otherwise in a province wherehonour killings and forced marriages are rampant.
Hence, there are only two women PPP-P nominees vying for the NationalAssembly from entire Sindh – Nafisa Shah, who is the daughter formerchief minister Qaim Ali Shah, is one of the contestants in NA-202Khairpur I and Shazia Atta Mari who filed her nomination papers forNA-209 Sanghar I.Details of the National Assembly constituencies where the PPP isn’t inthe race is given below.NA-192 Kashmore-Shikarpur: Previously in 2018, this constituency wasnamed as NA-198 Shikarpur I, with AbidHussainBhayo of PPP-P beingvictorious after begging 64,283 votes. Ibrahim Jatoi, an influentialindependent, was second, securing 45,016 votes.
For the February 8elections, Jatoi and JUI-F Sindh chief Maulana Rashid Mehmood are in therun in this constituency.NA-200 Sukkur I: Nauman Islam Sheikh of PPP-P was the winner in 2018. Hehad secured 70,870 votes followed by 60,531 votes for PTI’s MobeenAhmed. Both are again among the aspirants for this constituency whichwas known as NA-207 Sukkur II in 2024, but without a PPP-P candidate.NA-220 Hyderabad III: The PPP-P didn’t have a candidate for thisconstituency in 2018 too when it was called NA-227 Hyderabad III andSalahuddin of MQM-P elected as MNA with 52,056 votes.
NA-232 Korangi I [Karachi]: Begging 69,161 votes, Akram Khan of PTI wasthe winner in 2018. Syed Imran HaiderAbidi of PPP-P was a distant sixthwith 11,887 votes from this constituency previous called NA-239 KorangiI.NA-233 Korangi II [Karachi]: Known as NA-240 Korangi II, people in thisarea had elected Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan of MQM-P as theirrepresentative in 2018 by giving him public mandate with 61,165 votes.His rival from PPP-P Muhammad Feroze was placed sixth.
He secured 7,586votes.NA-234 Korangi III [Karachi]: It was labelled as NA-241 Korangi III forthe previous general elections. The winner from this constituency wasPTI nominee – Faheem Khan – who had polled 26,714 votes. Back then, thePPP-P candidate, Moazzam Ali Qureshi, could only beg 9,370 votes,leaving him fifth in the race – again showing the Korangi district ofKarachi has very little appetite for the province’s largest party.NA-240 South II [Karachi]: This newly-formed constituency comprises ofareas which were previously part of NA-240 Korangi, NA-246 South andNA-247 South. The PPP-P couldn’t clinch any of these in 2018. AbdulShakoor Shad in a major surprise had snatched NA-246 – covering theLyari area, a PPP-P bastion – after polling 52,750 votes with another42,377 for Ahmed Bilal SaleemQadri of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).It means Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was placed third place after obtaining39,347 votes.
NA-250 Central IV [Karachi]: Syed Sajid Hassan with 7,587 votes had beenracked seventh in the race for this constituency in 2018 when it waslisted as NA-256 Central IV. PTI’s Muhammad NajeebHaroon was the winnerafter begging 89,857 votes.SINDH ASSEMBLY: The 11 provincial assembly seats in Sindh where the PPPisn’t contesting are: PS-18 Ghotki I, PS-31 Khairpur VI, PS-64 HyderabadV, PS-65 Hyderabad VI, PS-70 Badin III, PS-88 Malir V [Karachi], PS-90Korangi I [Karachi], PS-92 Korangi III [Karachi], PS-108 South III[Karachi], PS-109 South IV [Karachi] and PS-117 West III [Karachi].Another interesting fact, which can’t be ignored, is that the PPP-Pcurrently holds the office of Karachi’s mayor, but could even field itsnominees for six national and five provincial seats in the megacity.
