As uncertainty hovers around results of the local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad, the Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Emir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said Saturday that a four-member committee has been formed to review what happened during the polls. The JI had rejected the results of the polls and claimed to have won most seats in the grass-root level polls in the port city. The party also filed complaints regarding rigging and incorrect vote count in six union committees of Karachi and demanded action against the district returning officers (DRO) and returning officers (RO) involved. Speaking during a press conference alongside Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh President Ali Zaidi, Rehman said that the mandate of the winning party should be protected by other political parties.
“Everyone’s mandate should be respected but it should be legal,” said the JI leader, adding that his party wants to achieve a consensus for Karachi’s development.
Rehman said that the party already had reservations regarding the constituencies, adding that a lot of people voted for them.
He said that they had sent the details to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as the results were altered. “As per Form-11, the results were changed and while the UCs were also reduced during the recounting of votes,” he alleged. He added that the whole process of recounting was to benefit the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). “We wouldn’t have any objection if the Peoples Party had won the elections legitimately,” he added.
Rehman also said that his party is in a position to appoint its own mayor, hinting at forming an alliance with PTI for the appointment of a mayor. “All the political parties are responsible for protecting the mandate of whoever has won,” he said, adding that his party wants to achieve consensus for Karachi’s development. Speaking about JI’s ties with PTI, Rehman said: “There is a working relationship with PTI as well.” He made the remark in reference to the 2015 LG polls in Sindh.
Rehman said that JI has presented PTI with a proposal of appointing Karachi’s mayor unanimously. He further stated that JI would have congratulated PPP if the latter was in a position but the party couldn’t appoint a mayor alone. “JI is in a position to appoint its mayor,” Rehman said.
He said that there would be both criticism and redressal if the mayor is appointed from JI. Speaking about Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) stance on the LG polls in Sindh, Rehman said that he wanted the party to have participated in the elections. He, however, said that boycotting the second phase of Sindh’s LG elections was MQM-P’s own decision.
“MQM-P made the last ditch efforts to stop the election. MQM-P was speaking about constituencies in order to escape the election,” Rehman concluded. He also called for the cancellation of the terror cases registered against JI and PTI. Committee to review polls situation Meanwhile, Zaidi said that the PTI and JI were in contact with each other before and after the polls. He said that everyone saw the drama surrounding the local body elections. “Zardari mafia is running a destructive system in the city. It has done nothing for Karachi that people would vote for them,” said Zaidi The PTI leader said that both parties agreed to form a committee to review what happened during the LG polls.
