PPP candidates for Hyderabad mayor, deputy mayor elected unopposed

Hyderabad: The Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) candidates for the mayor and deputy mayor of Hyderabad, Kashif Shoro and Sagheer Qureshi respectively, have been elected unopposed after all the other candidates withdrew their nomination papers on Wednesday.

In the municipal elections held on January 15, 2023, the PPP had won 113 of the 160 union committees (UCs) of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Based on those seats, the party further got 79 reserved seats and had a simple majority in the corporation.

The Hyderabad mayor-elect, Kashif, is the younger brother of Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro and has been involved in local politics since his youth years. He graduated in economics from the University of Sindh.

The deputy mayor-elect, Qureshi, is currently the president of the PPP in Hyderabad district and also serves as a special assistant to the chief minister on Hyderabad affairs.

Earlier, Zahid Ali and Tabish Hussain of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) had submitted their nomination papers against Kashif and Qureshi. According to the election commissioner, the TLP candidates did not declare their assets in the nomination papers, and during the scrutiny, some motorcycles were found to be registered in their name that they had not declared, after which their nomination papers were rejected.

On Wednesday, the covering candidates of the PPP withdrew their nomination papers, due to which Kashif and Qureshi were elected unopposed.

The PPP has also managed to get its chairmen and vice chairmen elected unopposed in seven of the nine towns of Hyderabad.

Umar Chandio, son of Senator Mola Bakhsh Chandio, has been elected the chairman of the Hussainabad town. The other PPP candidates who have been elected unopposed include Taj Wali in Sachal Sarmast, Munthar Jatoi in Nerunkot, Badar Memon in Tando Jam, Abdul Ghafoor Daras in Qasimabad and Mustafa Bilal in Mian Sarfraz towns.