The oft delayed local government elections were finally held on Sunday with biggest adversary of extreme cold weather from Karachi’s standards and mismanagement caused by uncertainty surrounding the holding or canceling of the elections.
Polling was supposed to start at 8am but there was no crowd at the polling stations in the morning due to severe cold. Several party camps outside the polling stations in urban areas were deserted, while staff arrived late at many polling stations, which delayed polling arrangements.
Despite the cold weather in the suburbs, there was a crowd in the polling camps at many places. Most of the women came to vote at many polling stations. The number of voters increased after 12 noon in urban areas, after which the polling process continued till 5pm.
The turnout was so dismal that Jamaat-e-Islami candidate for Sohrab Goth Town UC Ward 1 and 2 Jan Muhammad won by securing only 59 votes, while a Union Committee chairman won by only 475 votes cast in his favour. The PPP candidate for the UC chairman seat from Sukhia Goth in Sohrab Goth Town got only 187 votes and won.
Upsets
Like any other electoral contest, the local bodies elections held in Karachi on Sunday had its own bag of surprises.
PTI Parliamentary Leader in the Sindh Assembly, Khurram Sher Zaman lost on the Union Committee seat in his own constituency.
Although Zaman claims it was rigging, the leading Jamaat-e-Islami MPA Syed Abdul Rasheed’s candidate lost in his own constituency.
Similarly, Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani’s brother was defeated on a seat in one constituency but won the second seat.
PTI Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Shiekh’s backed candidate of PTI lost to PPP in his home constituency.
In East district, from where former PM Imran Khan was successful from East district in 2018 General Elections, but PTI candidates got defeated in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town and Safora Town in the local bodies elections.
PTI also lost on most of the seats in Central District.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 17th, 2023.
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