Clash erupts after Murtaza emerges victorious
Karachi_Pakistan People’s Party’s Wahab Murtaza was elected as mayor of Karachi by securing 173 votes on Thursday,
According to unofficial result, his rival JI’s Hafiz Naeemur Rehman could bag 160 votes.
Workers of Pakistan People’s Party and Jamaat-e-Islami clashed outside the venue for mayoral election minutes after PPP’s Murtaza Wahab was declared winner in the election. Charged workers pelted each other with stones prompting police and Rangers to disperse them through batton charge.
Earlier, the voting to elect mayor and deputy mayor of Karachi iwas held at the City Council.
In total, 333 member voters were present in the City Council, 173 out of them belonged to PPP, while 160 were from JI and PTI. As many as 33 members were absent today. Tough contest was expected between Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Murtaza Wahab and Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) Hafiz Naeemur Rehman for the seat of Karachi mayor.
PPP’s Salman Abdullah Murad and the JI’s Saifur Rehman contested for the seat of deputy mayor. The elections, to be held at Karachi’s Arts Council’s auditorium, will be through ‘show of hands’.
The voting will begin at 9:00 AM and will continue until 5:00 PM. Doors of the auditorium will be closed at 10:30 AM.
Voters have been asked to bring with them their original national identity cards (NICs). There are 155 members of the PPP in the City Council while the JI has 130 members. Total strength of PPP and its allies stands at 173 while that of JI and PTI at 192.
First of all PPP’s Murtaza Wahab’s name will be announced following which his supporters will raise their hands to vote for him. JI’s Naeemur Rehman’s turn will be next. Then voters will be taken to a side of the auditorium where they will be counted.
The election for the seat of mayor will be followed by that for the seat of deputy mayor. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), on the other hand, has issued orders for the production of council members presently imprisoned so that they could also vote.
PTI members form ‘forward bloc’
Meanwhile, over 30 UC chairmen of the PTI have formed a forward bloc, under the leadership of Asad Aman, ahead of election for the seat of Karachi mayor.
The group has decided not to vote for JI’s Hafiz Naeem.
