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In a first for PPP, Murtaza Wahab elected Karachi’s mayor

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KARACHI: In a first, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Murtaza Wahab won Karachi’s mayoral elections, defeating Jamat-e-Islami’s (JI) Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) held the election for the Karachi mayor and deputy mayor of the port city today at the Arts Council of Pakistan.

The mayoral contest was between Wahab and Rehman, as all the other candidates had withdrawn their nomination papers. The respective deputy mayor candidates of the PPP and JI are Salman Abdullah Murad and Saifuddin.

According to the entry register 303 elected members reached the polling station. Three elected members were brought in an armoured personnel carrier.

However, sources within ECP confirmed that 333 members reached the city council while 33 were absent.

The PPP is the largest party in the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation City Council, with 155 seats. However, it is short of a simple majority required to have its mayor elected. The PPP has also secured the support of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, but their combined strength is also short of a simple majority.

The second and third largest parties in the city council are the JI and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with 130 and 63 seats respectively. As the PTI has supported the JI, their combined votes appear to be 193, which is more than the simple majority in the House of 367 members.

However, with the emergence of a forward bloc within the PTI, the result may go either way. In case Wahab wins, it will most probably result in allegations of horse trading by the JI and PTI and the two parties might approach the judiciary to nullify the election.

Lambasting JI for supporting PTI, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said that Jamaat-e-Islami has joined hands with people involved in May 9 riots. 

Meanwhile, Rehman questioned the returning officer saying that more than 30 elected members have gone missing.

“There are reports that these persons have been detained and it was the ECP’s responsibility to bring these people,” he said. 

PTI rejects mayoral contest

Rejecting the “rigged mayoral contests,” the PTI said that the PPP has preferred rigging over elections from day one.

“The PPP tried to bar elected members from casting votes by arresting them,” the PTI said, warning that Wahab would suffer the same fate as Hamza Shahbaz did in the Punjab chief minister elections.

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When PPP Delegations Meet with the Prime Minister, PPP Leadership Reveals Complete Confidence in Government Policies

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The Pakistan People’s Party, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is a significant ally that has consistently supported the Government in every move it has taken to boost the national economy.

Within the presence of Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, he was having a conversation with a delegation of the Pakistan People’s Party, who had visited him in Islamabad.

During the course of the conference, questions were asked about the current political climate in the country.

A proposal called the “Charter of Parliament” was submitted in the Parliament by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the initiative, stating that it will further improve democracy and the government.

The PPP Delegation expressed their appreciation for the economic policies that the government has implemented in order to boost the economy of the country.

As a result of the PPP Delegation’s unwavering faith in the policies and initiatives of the government, the Prime Minister found this to be encouraging.

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An eight-day physical remand of PTI leaders has been approved by the ATC Islamabad. PTI leaders have been arrested.

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An eight-day physical remand of PTI leaders who were detained on allegations of terrorism was authorized by the Advanced Trial Court in Islamabad.

Judge Abu Al Hasnat of the ATC made the announcement of the verdict.

Among the leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who have been taken into custody are Sher Afzal Marwat, Amir Dogar, Zain Qureshi, Nasim Shah, Ahmed Chattha, Sheikh Waqas, and Shoaib Shaheen.

An additional judicial remand of Shoaib Shaheen was also approved by the court…

Barrister Gohar, the Chairman of the PTI, was ordered to be released from the Sangjani Police Station, where he was the subject of a complaint.

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During the meeting between the MNA and the MPA, the overall political situation was also discussed.

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As part of their meeting with Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Members of the National Assembly Rashid Akbar Nowani and Punjab Assembly Saeed Akbar Nowani met.

The conference was also attended by Rana Sanaullah, who serves as the advisor to the Prime Minister on matters pertaining to political affairs.

The meeting was devoted to discussions on the subjects that are important to each of the constituent groups.

A discussion was also held during the meeting regarding the overall and political situation of the country.

An encounter took place between Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and members of the National Assembly Muhammad Siddique Khan Baloch and Abdul Rehman Kanju.

The gathering was used to have conversations on the problems that were being faced by the various constituencies.

The political climate and the overall state of affairs in the country were also topics of discussion.

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