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PTI likely to abstain from voting for Karachi mayor election

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PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh on Monday announced that the party would stay neutral in the upcoming Karachi Mayor election, despite PTI chief’s instructions to back Jamat-e-Islami’s (JI) Hafiz Naeemur Rehman.

Talking to the media, he said they did not want to be a part of a contest in which someone else was winning. “Once the country gets rid of the dirty system, we shall participate in the race,” he added.

On the other hand, PTI’s union council chairman Asad Aman disagreed with the party’s decision saying that chairmen were taken into confidence over the issue. “We were, are, and shall always stand with the PTI chief,” he added.

We were against the PPP but we would not vote for the JI, he said. “If PTI chairman calls us, something could be done,” he added.

Another PTI UC chairman Imran Parwani said they had to respond to their people. “Mr Rehman told a lie to workers after meeting PTI chief,” he alleged. We could not vote, he said, for an outsider.

The election for mayor slot are scheduled to be held on June 15. So far, no political party has managed to secure majority as PPP gained 155 seats while the JI succeeded in winning 130 seats. PTI stands at the third spot with 63 seats.

A simple majority of 179 is required for a mayor to be elected.

Earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto nominated party’s spokesperson and unelected candidate Murtaza Wahab for the Karachi mayor slot. According to Sindh local government law, Mr Wahab will have to win the elections within six months to retain the slot if he is elected.
 

JI chances of securing Karachi mayor slot in doldrums

Meeting of over 30 elected PTI's UC chairmen decide not to vote for JI​


Jamaat-e-Islamis (JI) Karachi President Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman addresses a press conference in Karachi on October 18, 2022. — Facebook/JI
Jamaat-e-Islami's (JI) Karachi President Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman addresses a press conference in Karachi on October 18, 2022. — Facebook/JI
KARACHI: The Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) hopes of securing the Karachi mayor slot seem to be in the doldrums as the multiple Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) union council chairmen have decided to skip the elections for the biggest seat of the metropolis.
A meeting of more than 30 elected UC chairmen of the PTI was held in the port city in which it was decided not to vote for the JI candidate. The decision is contrary to what the PTI chief had announced as he said that his party would back Naeem in the mayoral polls.

Elected chairman Asad Aman, told Geo News, that the PTI’s Karachi leadership opposes the decision taken by the central leadership.
“We were not taken into confidence regarding the decision to form an alliance with the JI,” Aman said. But he added that they were with the PTI chairman and against the ruling PPP in Sindh.
“We have taken our decision independently. Close to 40 chairmen will not be in the City Council [of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation] on the polling day,” Aman also claimed. He added that if the PTI chief calls them then they can look into the matter.
While Imran Parwani, another UC chairman, said that they had to respond to their voters, adding that JI’s Naeem lied to the workers after meeting the PTI chief.
Meanwhile, the PTI in a statement alleged that the ruling PPP was “stealing” elections and is trying to steal the Karachi mayor poll.
“The PPP tried to pressurise elected representatives. The elected representatives are being kidnapped to change their loyalties,” said the former ruling party in the Centre. It added that as per party directives all party UC chairmen will vote for the JI.
“Action will be taken against those who will not come to vote as per party directives,” the PTI added.

Accept mandate of Karachi: Naeem​

In a press conference, JI’s Naeem asked the ruling PPP to accept the election results of the local government.
“The PPP is brazenly saying how the elected members will support [JI], The Election Commission should take notice of the statements of PPP leaders,” Naeem said. He added that the ECP should take notice of why a Sindh minister is claiming that elected members will not come to vote.
The PPP and the JI have been vying for the Karachi mayor seat after both parties secure major victories in the local government elections held in the port city earlier this year.
The PPP has become the single largest party with 155 members, including the reserved seats, in the 367-strong house after the LG polls.
Currently, no single party has a simple majority of 179 votes in the house, the count that is needed to ascertain who wins the coveted seat of the port city's mayor.
As per the latest statistics, the total number of the PPP, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) is 175.
On the other hand, the JI has emerged as the second largest party with a total of 130 seats, including reserved seats, while the PTI bagged a total of 63 seats. The alliance between the two parties stands at 193.
But with the recent statement of the PTI Sindh president, it does not seem that Naeem has the full numbers to secure the Karachi mayor seat.
The PPP has been claiming that a “jiyala” will rule the metropolis this time and has selected an unelected candidate Murtaza Wahab for the post of Karachi mayor.
While the JI is pitching Naeem as the candidate for the Karachi mayor.
The election for the Karachi mayor's slot is scheduled to be held on June 15.
 

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