Hafiz Naeem says '31 PTI members abducted before Karachi mayor election'

KARACHI: Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said that 31 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members were abducted during the Karachi mayor election, ARY News reported.

As per details, the JI Karachi chief said that the workers staged a protest when the election process started. The JI protest demanded to release the PTI members before the election process starts.

He said that the police started beating JI workers and several party workers were injured as a result of the police violence and stone pelting.

JI Karachi chief claimed that they were in contact with 6 to 7 PTI members. There were some members who said they are being pressurized, he added.

READ: Murtaza Wahab elected Karachi mayor by securing 173 votes

Earlier in the day, Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Barrister Murtaza Wahab has been elected Karachi mayor after securing 173 through a show of hand.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) candidate Hafiz Naeemur Rehman secured 160 votes, the unconfirmed and unofficial results showed.

The voting for Karachi mayor and deputy mayor was held at Pakitan Arts Council under strict security. The doors of the Arts Council were closed after 11 am.

The mayoral contest was between Wahab and Rehman, as all the other candidates had withdrawn their nomination papers, while Salman Abdullah and Saifuddin of PPP and JI, respectively contested for the post of deputy mayor.

According to the entry register 332 elected members reached the polling station, as 34 members of the KMC failed to reach the Arts Council of Pakistan.