Karachi mayor: 30 PTI UC chairmen decide not to take part in polls

KARACHI: More than 30 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) UC chairmen and vice chairmen have announced not to take part in upcoming elections for Karachi mayor and deputy mayor, ARY News reported on Monday.

Over 30 PTI UC chairmen and vice chairmen held a session in Karachi and decided not to participate in elections for the Karachi mayor and deputy mayor on June 15. They announced not to vote in favour of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) mayor candidate Hafiz Naeemur Rehman.

It emerged that PTI UC chairmen will remain absent on voting day. The UC chairmen said that they knew the ground realities in Karachi and that the elected local government (LG) representatives have the right to make decisions independently.

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“The local leaders took decisions without holding consultations with them and they are not agreeing on the decisions of the office bearers of the PTI Karachi Division.

They added, “JI has taken advantage of the current situation and elected its representatives on the reserved seats. We are not facing any kind of pressure nor accept it in the future.”

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had announced to unconditionally support JI’s candidate for Karachi mayor after the LG polls.

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Earlier in the day, the Sindh High Court (SHC) barred the administration from harassing and ‘illegal’ arrests of UC chairmen ahead of the Karachi mayor election.

The SHC was hearing the plea of PTI UC Chairman, Zeeshan Alam, seeking adjournment of the Karachi mayor election.

The court while ordering to ensure the presence of all the UC chairmen on the day of the Karachi mayor election, directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to take action against those harassing the elected representatives.

Upon assurance, the Sindh High Court disposed of the plea of Zeeshan Alam.