MQM bags majority seats in Karachi LB polls -- PTI, JI face setback
- By Azhar Khan -
- Dec 07, 2015
According to latest unofficial results, MQM has secured 136 seats. While the party made a clean sweep in the District Central.
On the contrary, Pakistan People’s Party stands at second position with 19 seats of chairmen, followed by independent candidates with 10 seats, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) is secured eight seats seats; comes next Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with seven seats of chairmen in the metropolis whereas Jamaat-e-Islami could only win six seats. .
The leading candidates in the electoral alliance between Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-s-Insaf suffered major setback. JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, PTI Karachi leader Ali Zaidi, while PPP’s Karachi President Najmi Alam lost the contest.
The election were held in six districts of Karachi – District Central, District West, District Korangi, District East, District South and District Malir.
Read here: Will Karachi have a powerful mayor again?
In Karachi, there were 209 union committees and 38 union councils. Voters in urban areas of Karachi will elect 1,210 members while those in rural areas will vote for 304 seats in 38 union councils.
Main parties contesting the polls were Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami. While the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, the Awami National Party and the Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party (faction of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat), had also fielded their candidates.
Read more: Do you know about previous four mayors of Karachi?
According to Election Commission of Pakistan, as many as 48 candidates had already returned unopposed in all 247 union committees and councils. Eighteen candidates have been elected unopposed in District Central, followed by 13 in West, nine in South, six in Malir and two in East.
The ECP had declared 1,791 polling stations out of total 4,141 as highly sensitive. Only 234 polling stations in the city were declared normal.
The Sindh government had deployed 35,057 police personnel, 7,400 Rangers soldiers and 10 army companies each with 80 soldiers in the city to maintain peace and order on polling day.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
MQM releases list of winning candidates in all districts of the city
Unofficial results received till midnight, Dec 7
11.42pm – PTI’s Arif Alvi congratulated MQM for securing majority seats in Karachi LB polls.
MQM has won a large number of UCs in Karachi. I congratulate them on this victory
— Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) December 5, 2015
10.03pm – MQM’s Wasim Akhtar defeated PPP’s District East President Zulfiqar Qaimkhani from District East UC-11.
09.43pm – PTI’s Karachi President Ali Zaidi lost the election to MQM’s Naushad Khan.
09.34pm – Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Karachi President Najmi Alam was also defeated by the joint candidate of PTI and JI in the election from Karachi South UC-30.
09.29pm – JI’s Karachi chapter chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman lost the election for the position of chairman to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) from UC-18 Al-Falah Society. The winning candidate bagged 3100 votes compared to the runner-up who got 720 votes.
06.40pm – Shaikh Mohammad Kaleem of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was elected Chairman from Orangi Town UC-26 after defeating Jamaat-e-Islami’s Mohammad Sadiq. MQM’s candidate secured 987 votes compared to his rival who bagged 258 votes.
LIVE UPDATES
10.30pm – MQM’s Khushbakhat Shujaat has said that the party has nominated four of its party leaders, including Wasim Akhtar, for the Mayor post.
08.58pm – Mohammad Anwar also said that whole nation trusts the party.
08.58pm – MQM leader Mohammad Anwar has said that the party emerged victorious in the local government elections despite all propaganda. He added that the targeted operations in Karachi were launched on the party’s saying.
07.56pm – Two people were reported injured when supporters of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) clashed against each other at Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
7.20pm – Muhajir Qaumi Movement Haqiqi have claimed that their activist was killed in clash with the workers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement in Landhi’s area.
7.19pm – Six polling agents were arrested over casting bogus votes in F.C. Area.
06.18pm – Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Raza Khan, in a media briefing, lauded the security personnel, election staff and the role of the media for making the local bodies election possible.
06.09pm – Haider Abbas Rizvi of MQM made it to the JI’s election camp and had a cup of tea with the party leaders.
05.56pm – Polling process in UC-7 of PECHS Society was stopped before ahead of the given time.
05.51pm – Sources said that two unknown persons were arrested from a polling station at Gulzar-e-Hijri.
05.45pm – Activists of two political parties clashed at Ward No. 3 of Jaafar-e-Tayyar Society UC-11.
05.45pm – Election Commission of Pakistan has said that the body had received 42 complaints regarding the polling process.
05.22pm – Rangers arrested Assistant Presiding Officer Muhammad Zubair from Pak Colony UC-5 over making the voters cast their vote under his supervision. The suspect has been handed over to the cops.
4.40pm – DG Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar has visited several areas of the city to inspect security arrangements. He also inspected polling arrangements and deployment of personnel at polling stations.
4.01pm – JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman claims government and election commission had not given Rangers due powers to take action against ‘saboteurs’.
3.35pm – PTI leader Imran Ismail says “we are not satisfied by the role of Rangers.”
Read here the detailed statement of PTI leader
3.20pm – Sister of MQM chief Altaf Hussain has cast her vote in the city. “I am praying for the victory of MQM in local elections,” she told media outside a polling station.
3.01pm – MQM Farooq Sattar alleges that massive rigging was taking in union councils of Landhi. He said scores of their workers were tortured in the area.
Click here for detailed news of MQM press conference
Mockery of LB polls as contesting candidate appointed polling agent
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