Karachi LG polls: JI forms committee with PTI for mandate protection

Amid ambiguity surrounding the results of local government elections in Karachi, runner-up Jamat-e-Islami's (JI) Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman on Saturday hinted at forming an alliance with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for the appointment of a mayor.

The two parties had rejected the results of the polls, with JI claiming that it won on the grassroots level. The party had filed complaints regarding rigging and incorrect vote count in six union councils of Karachi and demanded action against the district returning officers (DRO) and returning officers (RO) involved.

Rehman announced that a four-member committee has been formed to protect the mandate of his party, which claims to have won most seats in the grass-root level polls in the port city. He was addressing a press conference flanked by PTI's Sindh President Ali Zaidi.

The politician said that everyone's mandate is respected but the mandate "should be legal".

"All the political parties are responsible for protecting the mandate of whoever has won," he said, adding that his party wants to achieve consensus for Karachi's development.

Speaking about JI's ties with PTI, Rehman said: "There is a working relationship with PTI as well". He made the remark in reference to the 2015 LG polls in Sindh when JI contested alongside PTI. 

Rehman said that JI has presented PTI with a proposal of appointing Karachi's mayor unanimously.

He further stated that JI would have congratulated Pakistan People's Party (PPP) if latter was in a position but the party couldn't appoint a mayor alone.

"JI is in a position to appoint its mayor," Rehman said. He said that there would be both criticism and redressal if the mayor is appointed from JI.

'No talks with PPP'

The JI leader began by saying that the party already had reservations regarding the constituencies, adding that a lot of people voted for them.

He said that they had sent the details to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as the results were altered. "As per form XI, the results were changed and while the union councils (UCs) were also reduced during the recounting of votes," he alleged.

He added that the whole process of recounting was to benefit the PPP.

"We wouldn't have any objection if the Peoples Party had won the elections legitimately," Rehman said. He said that they have informed PPP that no talks can be held until the recounting process isn't stopped. 

'MQM-P wanted to escape election'

Speaking about Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan's (MQM-P) stance on the LG polls in Sindh, Rehman said that he wanted the party to have participated in the elections.

He, however, said that boycotting the second phase of Sindh's LG elections was MQM-P's own decision.

"MQM-P made the last ditch efforts to stop the election. MQM-P was speaking about constituencies in order to escape the election," Rehman concluded.

He also called for the cancellation of the terror cases registered against JI and PTI. 

'No ties at any forum possible with Zardari mafia'

Meanwhile, Zaidi said that PTI can have no links with the "Zardari mafia" at any forum. 

"Zardari mafia is running a destructive system in the city. It has done nothing for Karachi that people would vote for them," said Zaidi

Zaidi said that the PTI and JI were in contact with each other before and after the polls. He said that everyone saw the drama surrounding the local body elections.

The PTI leader said that both parties agreed to form a committee to review what happened during the LG polls.