SHC: JI plea seeks protection of elected local representatives

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami has filed a petition in Sindh High Court (SHC) seeking protection of the elected representatives of local councils, ARY News reported on Monday.

Petitioner pleads the high court to restrain the chief secretary and I.G. Police Sindh from harassment of the elected representatives.

Petitioner has sought providing details of cases against elected members of different towns. The party has also sought court instructions to the election commission, to ensure that all elected representatives of local councils take oath.

The Election Commission of Pakistan, the Chief Secretary Sindh and I.G. Police Sindh have been made party in the petition.

The oath-taking ceremony of elected representatives in the Karachi Local Bodies elections-2023 took place on May 22 (Monday).

A tug of war ongoing between the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the JI for the prized post of Karachi Mayor. The PPP has emerged as the largest political group in the council with JI as the second largest party and the PTI third.

The PTI has announced its support for the Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, JI’s candidate for Karachi’s Mayor. This support gives the JI comfortable majority to win the mayor’s office.

But there is a twist in the situation with reports that a number of union committee (UC) chairmen of the PTI were in contact with the PPP, but the PTI has refuted the news.

The election of the mayor and deputy mayor will take place on June 15 while the nomination papers can be submitted by June 9-10.

The ECP schedule stated that the Returning Officer will check the nomination papers on June 11 and release final list of candidates on June 14.

On June 16, the Returning Officers will announce the results whereas the successful candidates will take oath on June 19.