No complaint received regarding Karachi mayor election: EC Sindh

Election Commissioner (EC) Sindh Ejaz Anwar Chauhan said Friday that the commission has not received any formal complaint regarding the 31 local government (LG) representatives who had not participated in the Karachi mayor election, ARY News reported.

While talking to the ARY News programme ‘Aiteraz Hai’, EC Sindh Ejaz Anwar Chauhan said that it was ECP’s responsibility to produce arrested LG representatives in the Karachi mayoral election and the commission fulfilled its responsibility.

He reiterated that voters have their own responsibility to reach polling booth. He added that 334 LG representatives had arrived to cast their votes and 333 members participate in the polls. Firdous Shamim Naqvi had not cast his vote and no one was stopped from casting the votes.

READ: Hafiz Naeem says ’31 PTI members abducted before Karachi mayor election’

Yesterday, Chauhan declared the Karachi mayor election ‘peaceful, transparent and satisfactory’.

In a statement, EC Sindh Ejaz Anwar Chauhan said Karachi mayor elections were conducted peacefully and the best arrangements were made for the polls. “The mayoral poll was conducted through the show of hands. The polls were transparent and we are satisfied.”

Chauhan said voters are responsible for reaching polling stations, whereas, the election commission issued orders to produce the arrested local government (LG) representatives. “The detained persons have been produced for the voting process.”

READ: JI seeks CEC to cancel Karachi mayor election, demands fresh poll

He added, “We have not received any complaint from any voter for being stopped from participating in the voting process. We would take action if such a complaint is filed. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has not submitted any complaint regarding voters who are forcedly being stopped.”

The EC Sindh claimed that the commission would definitely investigate if a complaint is filed against any kind of irregularity.

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.