KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Murtaza Wahab won Karachi’s mayoral election on Thursday, becoming the first elected chief of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) belonging to PPP.
On the other hand, JI – which had carried out extensive election campaign during the last several months for the city’s Mayorship, has rejected the results, declaring the ruling PPP’s conduct as ‘unconstitutional and undemocratic. It blamed PPP for not producing 31 elected UC chairman belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, despite ‘court’ orders. The party has announced to observe Friday (today) a Black Day. Voting was held Thursday for the post of Karachi mayor and deputy mayor at ACP.
The mayoral contest was between Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Barrister Murtaza Wahab and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman, as all the other candidates had withdrawn their nomination papers.
The respective deputy mayor candidates of the PPP and JI were Salman Abdullah Murad and Saifuddin. As per unofficial unconfirmed results, Murtaza Wahab of PPP secured 173 votes, while his rival Hafiz Naeemur Rehman of JI got 160 votes. Salman Abdullah of PPP won the slot by securing 173 votes.
Heavy contingent of Police and paramilitary rangers were deputed outside ACP since morning to maintain law and order. As soon as the result was announced, clashes erupted between JI and PPP workers who were already gathered outside the ACP in large number.
Police resorted to baton charge the frenzied JI workers who pelted stones, targeting the law enforcers.
Due to deteriorating law and order, additional police and rangers force was called in to restore peace.
Over 300 Rangers and police personnel were deployed around the election venue. Later on, talking to Media JI’s Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said that the party will announce its future course of action on June 16, after holding protest demonstration at Shara-e-Quaideen.
JI leader said that all the 130 UC chairmen belonging to the JI participated in the mayoral election, whereas 31 elected representatives from PTI, including two women who had been allegedly abducted earlier’, were not produced in the council, despite the ‘court orders.
Before the voting began, Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani had said that the 173 members who were to vote in favour of Wahab were present inside the hall.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023