Karachi: no mayor yet

Local government activities in the country’s largest city remain paralysed because of the failure to hold the remaining elections, announce results on a few seats, or even attempt to name a mayor. It is already clear from the results so far that no single party will have absolute power, as the two biggest parties will fall short of the 50% mark even if they win all of the remaining seats. Meanwhile, the PTI has won enough UCs to throw an additional spanner into the works, if it so chooses, because its support will likely determine who becomes mayor. Although the PPP is the largest party so far with 84 Union Councils (UCs), and pundits believe it will also win most of the remaining open and unannounced seats, the PTI and its 40 UCs could back a candidate from its historical ally, the JI, which has 82 UCs, just to show up the PPP.

Alternatively, the PTI could otherwise leverage its kingmaker status with the PPP, although this appears less likely, given the divide between the two parties’ top leaders at national level. But politicking aside, several local government issues have been exasperated in recent months because of the incessant delays in the polls and subsequent delays in the announcement of results. It is indeed unfortunate that the JI needed to seek high court intervention to get polls held in some UCs. However, it is also problematic that the religious party is slinging rigging and favouritism claims without any strong evidence, because the last thing Karachi needs is further erosion of citizens’ faith in the ability of their elected officials to perform.

Indeed, despite the PPP’s lack of urgency to activate the local government, it is to their credit that they have acknowledged the JI’s victories. But the PPP still needs to prove that it wants to govern, rather than rule, and that will only happen if it supports efforts to complete polling, including by joining hands with the JI to demand the election commission pick up its work pace.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2023.

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