Karachi mayor polls: Hafiz Naeem writes to CEC

KARACHI: (HRNW) Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has written a letter to the chief election commissioner (CEC) for implementing the Supreme Court’s (SC) orders ahead of the Karachi mayor polls.

JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman wrote a letter to the chief election commissioner (CEC) for implementing the SC orders related to the mayoral polls.

The letter stated that the ruling Pakistan People’s Party is allegedly using state machinery to pressurise the elected local government (LG) representatives of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to vote for PPP mayoral candidate.

Hafiz Naeem wrote that PTI announced unconditional support to the JI candidate for Karachi mayor. It added that the Sindh government also arrested four elected LG representatives of PTI ahead of the mayoral polls.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the government to issue production orders for the arrested LG representatives for the mayor polls.

It further stated that the votes of the elected representatives would not be counted if it violates the party decision as per the court orders and the representative will be disqualified.

Earlier in the day, the Sindh High Court (SHC) barred the administration from harassing and ‘illegal’ arrests of UC chairmen ahead of the Karachi mayor election.

The SHC was hearing the plea of PTI UC Chairman, Zeeshan Alam, seeking adjournment of the Karachi mayor election.

The court while ordering to ensure the presence of all the UC chairmen on the day of the Karachi mayor election, directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to take action against those harassing the elected representatives.

Upon assurance, the Sindh High Court disposed of the plea of Zeeshan Alam.