KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) activists clashed outside the city’s Arts Council on Thursday after Murtaza Wahab was elected mayor of Karachi after defeating JI’s Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman.
Jamaat-e-Islami – backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – had earlier announced that it would resist any attempt to influence the results and accused the PPP of “rigging the election”. PTI’s union committee chairmen were “abducted” for , a claim vehemently denied by the ruling party.
As a result of the clashes, roads leading from the city’s Shaheen Complex to MR Kayani Road were blocked, several vehicles were damaged, one person was injured, and some party workers were arrested.
Both party workers were separated by law enforcement agencies before the polls, but that was not enough to keep them calm as they clashed soon after the results were announced.
Election
The mayoral contest was between Wahab and Rehman as all the other candidates had withdrawn their nomination papers. The respective deputy mayor candidates of People’s Party and Jamaat-e-Islami are Salman Abdullah Murad and Saifuddin.
According to the entry register, 303 elected members reached the polling station and 33 were absent. Three elected members were brought in an armored vehicle.
PTI senior leader and central SVP @Fsnaqvi Firdous Naqvi reached Arts Council from Central Jail Karachi to caste his vote for Mayor Karachi
— PTI (@PTIofficial) June 15, 2023
pic.twitter.com/wjpz4eIS57
PPP is the largest party in Karachi Metropolitan Corporation City Council with 155 seats. However, it lacks the simple majority required to elect its mayor. People’s Party also has the support of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, but their combined strength is less than a simple majority.
The second and third largest parties in the city council are Jamaat-e-Islami and PTI, with 130 and 63 seats respectively. As the PTI supported the JI, their combined votes were 193, more than a simple majority in the 367-member House.
However, a forward bloc emerged within the PTI, and they abstained from voting, remaining absent during polling.
As a result, Naeem got 160 votes while Wahab won with 173 votes.
PPP, Trade of JI
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon criticized Jamaat-e-Islami for supporting PTI, saying that JI had joined hands with those involved in the May 9 riots.
Before the voting started, Sindh Labor Minister Saeed Ghani said that 173 members who voted in favor of Wahab were present inside the hall.
He also shared a video message congratulating Wahab and Murad for winning the mayoral and deputy mayor elections, even before the unofficial results were released.
The provincial minister said that Wahab secured 173 votes while Rehman managed only 160 votes.
تمام شہریوں اور کارکنوں کو @murtazawahab1 اور سلمان مراد کی کامیابی مبارک ہو۔
— Senator Saeed Ghani (@SaeedGhani1) June 15, 2023
میری معلومات کے مطابق الیکشن ہال میں اس وقت 333 ارکان موجود ہیں جن میں پی پی پی، پی ایم ایل (ن) اور جے یو آئی کے 173 ارکان ہیں اور جماعت اسلامی کے 160 ارکان ہیں۔ pic.twitter.com/3pIHkIUJ1r
Meanwhile, Rehman questioned the returning officer and said that more than 30 elected members have gone missing.
He said that there are reports that these persons have been detained and it was the responsibility of the ECP to bring them.
Denying a “rigged mayoral contest”, the PTI said that the PPP has prioritized rigging over elections since day one.
“The PPP tried to stop the elected members from casting their votes by arresting them,” the PTI said, warning that Wahab would face the same fate as Hamza Shahbaz in the Punjab chief ministerial election. .