KARACHI, Oct 1: NA-240 is a newly-demarcated constituency after the bifurcation of former NA-184 with the exclusion of Keamari Town and Gabopat Union Council.

It comprises parts of Baldia, Shershah, Pak Colony, Rexer and Mianwali Colony. Most of the localities come under the categories of kachchi abadis.

Provision of civic amenities, particularly water supply and sewerage systems, is the basic problem faced by the people in this constituency.

The demography of the population is a mixup of Gujratis, Kachchis and people from Junagarh. There is also a small population of Pakhtoons, Hazarawalas, Balochs, Sindhis and Urdu-speaking people.

It covers areas comprising Baldia Town (UCs 5, 6, 7 and 8) which include Saeedabad Sector-V (part) near Police Training Centre, Sarhad Colony, Madina Colony, Ghous Nagar, Shah Faisal, Mianwali Para, Sarhad Colony (extension), Swat Colony, Lasi Para, Anjum Colony, Baldia-II (part), Gujrat Colony (part), Turk Colony, Kokan Colony, Rasheedabad, Kumharwara, Arab-Datri Mohallah and Junagarh, Chishti Nagar, Hussaini Mohallah and Habibabad, Haji Qasim Colony, Dehli Makka Colony, Shershah Colony (Street-46), Street-B-49, Jinnah Ground and Nayyab Road, Mohammadi Road, Akbari Road, Haroonabad, SITE and SITE labour colony, Pak Modern Colony and Jahan Colony, Willaytabad, Hasrat Mohani Colony, Chittagong, Haji S.M. Goth, Asifabad Colony, Yaseen Zuberi Colony, Qadeemi Mohallah, Ghulam M.V. village, Gharib Nawaz Village, Old Golimar, Hasan Aulia Village and Rexer Lane Mistri Khan Village, United Colony, Muslimabad, Jehanabad, Mianwali Colony, Shershah Colony around Toor Baba Road, Shershah Colony around Urdu Bazar Road, around Akbar Road, Faqir Colony and Baldia Town Ghushan-i-Ghazi (Block-A, Block-B).

As many as 14 candidates are in the run. They include K. S. Mujahid (PML-Q), Mohammad Shah Nawaz (PML-Nawaz), Sarkaruddin Advocate (MQM), Maulvi Sheerin Mohammad (MMA), Mohammad Iftikhar Bhatti (Sunni Tehrik), Mohammad Bakhsh Baloch (PPP-SB), Mohammad Bux Lashari (PPP), Mohammad Islam, Bashir Ahmed Mangrio, Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi, Aurangzeb Ghori, Iftikhar Shah Bukhari, Dr Iqtidar Hussain and Shamim Minhas.

It is premature to say about the dominating trends of this newly-redesignated constituency because of highly localised support base of the each area.

A survey of the constituency shows that main contestants on this seat will be former local bodies minister K. S. Mujahid, who is a nominee of Pakistan Muslim League (QA), Sarkaruddin advocate of the MMA and Mohammad Bakhsh Lashari of the PPP.

Being a former local bodies minister and a Gujrati-speaking, Mr Mujahid is the most potential candidate in the constituency, notwithstanding the fact that he had a long track record of community- related welfare services in the constituency.

Apart from Gujratis and Kachchis, Mr Mujahid is equally popular among the Balochs and Sindhis.

Equally important is the PPP’s candidate Mohammad Bakhsh Lashari because the party has strong support base in Baloch and Sindhi-speaking areas because of a solid vote-bank in the constituency.

Muttahida’s candidate Sarkaruddin Advocate is also an effective candidate in the constituency. It has also a solid vote bank in NA-240.

SINDH ASSEMBLY: The NA-240 has also two provincial assembly constituencies: PS-91 and PS-92.