ANP stands nowhere in Karachi local government polls.

KARACHI -- The Awami National Party (ANP) was once considered a representative political party of the Pakhtun populace in Karachi.

The second phase of the local government elections in Sindh is scheduled to be held on January 15 during which polling will be held in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions.

Karachi is said to be the city with the largest Pakhtun population in the world.

However, with time, ANP has seemingly become irrelevant in the political landscape of the metropolis despite the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) losing its grip on its stronghold.

This is evident from the fact that in the upcoming local government elections, the ANP could field candidates only in four union committees (UCs) of the total 246 UCs in the seven districts and 25 towns of Karachi.

In the rest of the UCs, the party announced its support for even its rival parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami, MQM-P and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).

In return for the support, these parties have accommodated a few workers of the ANP in their panels, but these activists would not be contesting the elections on the electoral symbol of their party - lantern.

Even in Karachi District West where a large number of Pakhtuns are settled in localities such as Pathan Colony, Banaras, Zia Colony and Metroville, the ANP could field candidates only in three of the 33 UCs - UC 4, 6 and 7.

In the...