Karachi, 16 June, 2023 (GNP): The advisor to the Chief Minister of Sindh on rules and regulations Murtaza Wahab, a candidate from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), won Karachi’s mayoral election on Thursday, becoming the first elected mayor of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) from PPP.
He was elected as mayor of Karachi amid dissension, protest, and retaliatory accusation.
پی پی پی شعبہ خواتین کی مرکزی صدر و ایم پی اے فریال تالپور سے نومنتخب میئر کراچی مرتضیٰ وہاب صدیقی کی ملاقات
مرتضیٰ وہاب نے زرداری ہاوَس کراچی پہنچ کر فریال تالپور کا شکریہ ادا کیا، پھولوں کا گلدستہ پیش کیا
نامزدگی ہو یا میئر کے الیکشن میں کامیابی، آپ کی شفقت اور رہنمائی کے… pic.twitter.com/rtvkiC2dN9
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) June 15, 2023
According to the news sources, there was a tight competition between Murtaza Wahab and Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman of Jamaat-e-Islami for acquiring the status of mayor. Earlier, both of them claimed to be ahead of each other in terms of numbers in the mayoral election.
The PPP had established an association with PML(N) and JUI(F) to make their power stronger with 173 votes.
On the other side, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) had expected to support JI which was going to help Rehman to win the office of mayor with 192 votes.
Also Read: PTI kick off elections campaign
While Wahab won the mayoral election with 173 votes, Rehman only got 160 because 30 union council members avoided casting their votes.
Moreover, Salman Abdullah Murad of PPP got the seat of deputy mayor as a majority of votes were cast in favor of him as compared to Saif-ud-din of JI.
Chairman Pakistan People's Party @BBhuttoZardari terms the success of party candidates historic in Karachi Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections today#KarachiHumSabKa
Read More: https://t.co/8mmpdoFGKP pic.twitter.com/lIEl3yXbTw— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) June 15, 2023
According to Returning Officer Nazar Abbas, the election was conducted at Karachi Arts Council, which the Election Commission of Pakistan had declared as a polling station for the Karachi mayoral election.
The JI has rejected the result of the election and asked the ECP to declare it “null and void” and instead set up a new one.
Rehman alleged that the government of Sindh did not follow the orders of the Sindh High Court to make the participation of detained PTI members possible in the polling process.
The JI expressed that the provincial government also allegedly stopped the members of PTI, who were supposed to support JI in the electoral process.
Furthermore, Rehman called for a “Black Day” on Friday to record the party’s concerns over Karachi mayoral election across the country.
