Wednesday, August 27, 2025
spot_img
HomeBreaking NewsVoting time for Mayor Karachi begins, People's Party's Wahab, Jamaat-e-Islami's Naeem face...

Voting time for Mayor Karachi begins, People’s Party’s Wahab, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Naeem face to face

- Advertisement -

Voting time has begun for the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Karachi in the Arts Council of Pakistan, with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) voting today for two major seats in the port city.

The mayoral race is between Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Barrister Murtaza Wahab and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, all other candidates have withdrawn their nomination papers.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 have reached the polling station. Three elected members were brought in an armored vehicle.

However, ECP sources confirmed that 333 members of the city council had arrived while 33 were absent.

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 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) with 130 and 63 seats respectively. As the PTI has supported the Jamaat-e-Islami, their combined votes appear to be 193, which is more than a simple majority in the 367-member House.

However, with the emergence of a forward bloc within the PTI, the outcome could go either way. If Wahab wins, it will likely result in allegations of horse-trading by JI and PTI and both parties may approach the judiciary to annul the election.

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon mocked Jamaat-e-Islami for supporting PTI and said that Jamaat-e-Islami had joined hands with those involved in the May 9 riots.

Meanwhile, Rehman questioned the returning officer and said that more than 30 elected members were missing.

He said that there are reports that these persons have been detained and it was the responsibility of the ECP to bring them.

- Advertisement -
RELATED ARTICLES

Leave a Reply

- Advertisment -spot_img

Most Popular