Poor performance in LG polls: PTI’s Karachi chief Ali Zaidi resigns

Sindh chief Dr Arif Alvi also offers to resign after party’s failure to get enough seats in Karachi.

KARACHI: Accepting the blame for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) poor performance in the local government elections on Saturday, the party's Karachi chief Ali Zaidi resigned from the post of Karachi president.

His resignation came after the party's central executive committee met in Islamabad, where PTI chairperson Imran Khan asked party leaders about the reasons behind PTI's failure to secure enough seats in Karachi. "I have resigned from my post," said Zaidi. "It's up to Imran Khan whether or not he wants to accept my resignation."

A party official claimed that PTI Sindh chief Arif Alvi also offered to resign but his resignation was not accepted.

Zaidi, who was appointed as Karachi president in December last year, replaced a senior PTI leader, Najeeb Haroon. He was appointed for the post apparently under direct orders from Imran — an act that ruffled some feathers within the party as he was 'selected' and not 'elected'.

Resigned under pressure?

Zaidi resigned due to workers' pressure as he is not connected to the workers on ground, claimed a party official. In fact, a group of 20 or so PTI activists staged a protest against Zaidi outside the party's Karachi headquarters, Insaf House, on Sunday. They accused Zaidi, Alvi and PTI lawmaker Khurram Sher Zaman of distributing tickets for the LG polls to their own relatives. PTI Karachi's information secretary Dawa Khan Sabir insisted, however, that no one had demanded Zaidi's resignation.

Replacement

The party chairperson contacted another senior leader, Faisal Vawda, to lead the Karachi office, claimed a PTI official, adding that Vawda enjoys the support of party activists from all districts as opposed to Zaidi, who is not a permanent resident of Karachi. Vawda refused to accept the offer and recommended the party appoint Imran Ismail to lead the Karachi office. The official added that Ismail also refused to accept the offer. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Vawda said Zaidi should continue to work as the Karachi president.

"If his [Zaidi's] resignation is accepted, then another caretaker set up will be announced by the chairman and it will hold the intra-party polls of PTI Karachi chapter," explained Sabir. The party officials who will be the part of the interim setup will not contest for any post in the intra-party elections, he added.

The intra-party elections are expected to be held in a day or two and Zaidi will be responsible for them as he is the current president, said Sabir.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 8^th,  2015.