PPP, PTI woo JI for mayoral slot
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardar addressing joint press conference with JI chief Sirajul Haq in Lahore. SCREENGRAB
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has offered ‘unconditional’ support to Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) to nominate a mayor for the city.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has also extended talks offer to the JI leadership for the development of the city.
The indecisive JI, first, wants to clear its party position over the seven controversial Union Committee (UC) seats.
“Jamaat is in a better position than the PTI that offers unconditional support,” a senior PTI leader told The Express Tribune. “We want them [JI] to announce its mayor with our support for next four years,” he added.
The PTI leadership is in contact with JI leadership, the sources revealed. But the JI has not decided if it could initiate the formal talks.
“We do not want to see PPP to get Karachi completely,” the PTI leader said. “It is our party’s decision,” he added. “It will be a blunder by JI if it enters into a deal with the PPP,” he warned.
Rumours also circulated that the PPP has agreed to offer two-year term to JI’s mayor. “We have more seats so it will be our right to run the affairs of the city for first two years,” a PPP leader said.
PPP Karachi division’s president and Sindh Minister for Labour and Human Resources Saeed Ghani said that his party was ready to hold talk with the JI.
“The final decision for the mayorship will certainly be taken by the party leadership,” Ghani said.
“Karachi’s next mayor will be a jiyala,” Ghani claimed.
Sources revealed that initial talks between the PPP and JI leaderships have started. “The issue is with JI’s stance on controversial seats.”
A JI leader told The Express Tribune that the Jamaat leadership has not yet taken any decision but, he added, it will not consider PTI’s offer. “The only way to develop this city is to go with PPP because PTI is not in the power and it has not done anything for the city during the last four years,” he added.
Sources revealed that the talks between PPP and JI are expected within the next few days, saying that multiple options will be discussed.
Unprepared PPP has no strong candidate for the slot who could easily run the affairs of the port city. The name of Najmi Alam, who defeated PTI’s Khurram Sher Zaman, seems to be a viable option, but the local leadership is not ready to suggest his name to the party leadership.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2023.