Polling underway in NA-240

KARACHI: Polling in the by-election for NA-240 (Korangi Karachi-II) began at 8:00 am as people are voting in 309 stations set up in 133 places.

As many as 25 candidates are in the run for the seat, including Muhammad Abu Bakr of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Nasir Lodhi of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Shabbir Qaimkhani of Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP).

Of the candidates, 18 are contesting independently.

However, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) had announced a boycott of the vote.

The district administration has declared 203 polling stations of the constituency "extremely sensitive".

The seat had fallen vacant on account of the death of Iqbal Muhammad Ali of MQM-P.