7 PTI UC chairmen terminated for vote abstention in Karachi mayor poll

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Monday suspended the basic membership of seven more union committee (UC) chairpersons for abstaining from voting in Karachi's mayoral election.

So far, 24 UC chairmen of the PTI have been terminated for defying party directives of voting in favour of Jamat-e-Islami (JI) candidate Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman in the recently held poll for the city mayor.

The decision comes a day after PTI's Sindh chapter explled six UC chairpersons for the same reason as they failed to submit a satisfactory response over a show cause notice issued to them for not voting.

Over 30 UC chairpersons had refused to vote for Rehman, to whom the PTI had pledged support. As a result, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Murtaza Wahab was elected as Karachi's mayor.

According to the results, the PPP leader secured 173 votes, while the JI's Karachi chief bagged 160 votes.

PTI spokesperson said that PTI's Sindh President Haleem Adil Shiekh decided to suspend the basic membership of the UC chairmen at the suggestion of the inquiry committee.

An official notification has also been issued in this regard.

PTI terminated UC chairpersons:

• Abdur Rehman Khan from Shah Faisal Town
• Tahir Pervaiz from Saddar Town
• Muneebur Rehman and Atif Hayat from Manghopir
• Hayatullah and Dolat Khan from Sohrab Goth
• Amjad Hussain from Korangi

The spokesperson said that a letter had also been written to the PTI secretary general to terminate the basic membership of the seven UC chairmen.

The UC chairmen have been expelled in three phases. Initially, 11 UC chairmen had been terminated, six in the second phase and seven in the third phase.