Murtaza Wahab gets LG seat to stay Karachi Mayor

KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Murtaza Wahab has won a local government (LG) seat which was crucial to retain his position as Karachi Mayor, ARY News reported on Friday.

Murtaza Wahab has managed to win an LG seat which was crucial to retaining his Karachi mayoral post. In the by-polls, Wahab was elected unopposed as the Union Council (UC) chairman in Ibrahim Hyderi.

The politician will also participate in the polls from Gizri and Keamari areas.

Related: JI chief demands ECP to withdraw Karachi mayor notification

The PPP leader had been directly nominated and elected as the Karachi mayor by the majority of LG representatives in June. However, he was due to participate in an elections within six months to retain his position in accordance with the amended Sindh LG Act.

JI, PTI approach high court

In a relevant development today, following the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) petition, the candidates from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also challenged the election tribunal’s decision in the high court against the approval of Murtaza Wahab’s nomination papers.

The PTI candidates of UC 3 Keamari and UC 8 Ibrahim Hyderi challenged the approval of Murtaza Wahab’s nomination papers.

Advocate Hasnain Chohan mentioned in the petition that the returning officer (RO) and Election Tribunal ignored the important legal points prior to the approval of the Karachi Mayor’s nomination papers.

Related: Murtaza Wahab files nomination papers for Karachi by-poll

“Murtaza Wahab cannot participate in the elections from Keamari and Ibrahim Hyderi as he is a registered voter from the Gizri area of the metropolis,” the lawyer stated.

Earlier in the day, the election tribunals rejected petitions against the approval of the nomination papers of Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab for upcoming LG by-polls.

Election Tribunal Malir rejected objections against approval of nomination papers of Wahab from UC-8 Ibrahim Haidari.

PTI’s four and Jamaat-e-Islami’s two candidates had challenged approval of Murtaza Wahab’s nomination paper by the returning officer UC-8 Ibrahim Haidari.

Mayor’s election and oath

In June, Wahab and Salman Abdullah Murad took oath as Karachi mayor and deputy mayor respectively in a ceremony held on June 19.

The city council had elected People’s Party’s Murtaza Wahab and Salman Murad on June 15 in the polling held at Karachi Arts Council under strict security. Wahab was elected Karachi mayor after securing 173 votes. JI’s candidate Hafiz Naeemur Rehman secured 160 votes.

According to the entry register 332 elected members reached the polling station, Pakatan Arts Council, as 34 members of the city council failed to reach the voting venue.