LG polls: Parties gear up for elections with last-minute campaigning

MQM, PTI and JI use final hours to secure additional votes

KARACHI: A day before the local government elections, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) claimed it will sweep the polls with an 'unprecedented victory'. But it was also afraid the opposition parties will try to boycott the polls and create an emergency-like situation.

"We will win the elections in an unprecedented way and will get votes like never before," said party leader Dr Farooq Sattar, addressing a press conference on Friday evening.

He said that the local government elections were a long-standing demand of the party, which it considered the foundation of democracy. "The attacks on Rangers and the armed forces were an attempt to postpone the elections," he claimed.



In the LG elections, the party is contesting 176 out of 209 seats and on the other seats it will be supporting independent candidates. Despite the arrest of 100 workers and raids at its offices, the party has managed to carry forward its election campaign in many parts of Karachi and reopened its sector and unit offices.

Wasim Akhtar, a former MNA and adviser to the Sindh chief minister on home affairs, is contesting for chairmanship from District East. He has been labeled as an unofficial favourite for the city mayor. Sources in the party, however, say that those appearing as favourites now may not be chosen by the party and someone new might be appointed mayor.

Former MNA and MPA Zareen Majeed, who is also contesting from district East, is considered a favourite for the position of deputy mayor.

PTI's preparations

Imran Ismail, former president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) Sindh and NA-246 ticket holder, was satisfied with his party's preparations across Karachi. He said that boycotting elections has never been an option for the PTI. He added that the MQM had been in government for past many years in Karachi and had been successful in appointing their polling staff. He said that the nephew of Altaf Hussain, who had earlier been remanded to Rangers' custody, has been appointed as polling staff for the LG elections.



"If [Rangers and army personnel] start checking identity cards inside the polling stations, then  no one will get a chance to rig the elections," said Ali Zaidi, PTI's Karachi chapter president.

JI's journey to the polls

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) leader Hafiz Naeemur Rehman tried to make the most of the last day of campaigning by reaching out to the people after Friday prayers in UC-18, Block-A North Nazimabad. He went to three mosques and tried to convince people to vote for change. JI supporters also distributed pamphlets with their slogan, 'Aao badlein apna Karachi' [Come change our Karachi].

"We have tried to satisfy people and make them believe that the law and order situation of the city will only be [alleviated] when we vote for change," said JI spokesperson Zahid Askari.

He added that people should understand the importance of their vote and step out to vote for the right party or any independent candidate that they believe deserves to be elected.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th,  2015.