PPP GRABS 7 KARACHI UCS, JI WINS 4

• JI accuses PPP-led govt of devising rigging plans.

KARACHI – The candidates of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have won seven out of 11 union council (UC) seats in the local government (LG) by-polls in Karachi while Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) secured four seats, Dunya News reported.

According to unofficial results announced on late Sunday night, Israr Ahmed of PPP was elected chairman from UC-2 Korangi by obtaining 2,647 votes while JI candidate got 1,804 votes and remained second.

Abdul Qadir of the PPP won the UC-2 Lyari Town seat by securing 3,243 votes.

The PPP candidate Arshad Khan emerged victorious from UC-8 District West by getting 2,664 votes while PTI candidate Sahir Hussain obtained 1,380 votes and remained second.

Faisal Naseem of JI won the UC-6 North Nazimabad seat from District Central by getting 4,055 votes, Abid Shah of PPP remained second by securing 1,169 votes.

Muhammad Ayub of JI was elected chairman from UC-8 Landhi Town by obtaining 1,695 votes whereas Asim Khan of PTI remained second by getting 826 votes.

As per unofficial result, JI candidate emerged victorious from UC-3 Korangi by getting 3,412 votes while PML-N candidate remained second after obtaining 2,544 votes.

Muhammad Arif of PPP won the UC-2 Keamari seat by grabbing 3,009 votes while Irshad Ahmed of PTI came second by getting 1,086 votes.

Noor Islam of JI emerged victorious from UC-2 District West by getting 4,778 votes while Muhammad Aleem of the PPP got 3,571 votes and remained second.

Muhammad Amir of the PPP won UC-4 District Central New Karachi seat by obtaining 2,244 votes while Usman Ullah of JI came second by getting 1,813 votes.

Shahzeb Murtaza of PPP was declared winner from UC-13 District Central New Karachi after he secured 5,779 votes while Rafey Hussain of JI remained second by getting 1,156 votes.

The JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has urged Karachi’s citizens to step out to vote and has also requested all relevant authorities to ensure a smooth polling process.

A day earlier, he accused the PPP government of devising rigging plans, Rehman quoted some reports as saying that the presiding officers in District West had already been directed to cast bogus polls in favour of the ruling party before the commencement of the polling process.

Similarly, he said, the state machinery was being mobilised against political opponents of the ruling party in Ittehad Town and other areas in the city.

A large number of transfers and postings were ordered to manipulate the results, the JI leader said.

He made it clear that the party would not accept any attack on the mandate of the people of Karachi. He announced that JI teams would offer strong resistance if the PPP government opted to manipulate the electoral process or the results.

He warned that the PPP government would be held responsible for any untoward situation emerging in the aftermath of resistance against any rigging attempt.

The election cell of JI has also written a letter to ECP Sindh for the third time informing them about the treatment of their polling agents. It has asked the electoral authority to take action against those involved in the issue.

“The presiding officer has stopped Jamaat-e-Islami’s polling agents in UC-13 New Karachi polling station number 3. They have been present outside the polling station since 7 am,” the party’s spokesperson said.