Soldiers patrol Karachi streets

Soldiers patrolled the streets of the volatile Malir, Landhi neighbourhoods in Karachi yesterday to prevent a clash, especially between the militants of a hardline alliance and a government-backed candidate in the byelections for a National Assembly seat due tomorrow.

Hundreds of policemen and paramilitary rangers are also on high alert along with the Pakistan Army personnel as the government ally, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), and the opposition Islamic Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) are making the last ditch efforts to attract voters ahead of Monday's polling.

"Emotions are running high on both sides," a senior police official said on condition of anonymity. "We have reports that militants belonging to the two sides have moved weapons in the constituency. We have to remain on the alert till the polling and counting of votes are over," he said.

Besides, the MQM and the MMA, the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi) and the Milliat Islamia party are also in the running for the by-elections.

But the MQM and the MMA have made winning the elections a matter of prestige.

The seat fell vacant because of the death of Haqiqi lawmaker Mehmood Qureshi. But now this group holds little chance of winning as the MQM has bounced back in the constituency with full force after an absence of more than a decade against the backdrop of a crackdown on its dissident faction of Haqiqi.

The MMA, encouraged by the October 2002 election results, sees itself as the rising force in Karachi, which is still dominated by the MQM.

In a show of strength on Friday, thousands of MMA supporters held their last major rally of the campaign, which was addressed by the ailing Jamaat-e-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed who traveled to Karachi against the wishes of his doctors.

Maulana Fazal-ur Rehman of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani of the Jamait Ulema-e-Pakistan were the other key central figures of the MMA who addressed the rally.

"If you want peace, harmony and love vote for the MMA. If you want an end to extortion, violence, killings and kidnapping - vote for the MMA," the thrust of alliance‚s main message said.

The MQM is equally aggressive in its election campaign targeting the religious alliance of fanning extremism, violence and terrorism.