Mayor’s turf

Karachi’s mayor-ship slot is evenly pitched. The PTI’s support to Jamaat-e-Islami for the coveted post in the largest metropolitan is likely to have a smooth sailing, if centrifugal forces do not come their way. The Jamaat, which has an impressive record of manning the city in yesteryears, is poised to churn wonders for the dilapidated city if it throngs to power. The PPP, nonetheless, being the majority seats winner in the contestable local bodies polls, will do all it can to torpedo the alliance of the willing, as it has the Sindh government’s muscles at its beck and call. The hint from Sindh Labour and Human Resources Minister Saeed Ghani that majority of PTI’s 43 Union Committee (UC) chairmen will not vote for the Jamaat’s candidate must be read as an institutional intervention, sparking fears of a brawl in the security-scared mega-city.

The numerical chessboard for the prestigious office is quite interesting. The PPP had initially grabbed 93 seats, while the Jamaat had clinched 86, as the PTI trailed behind with an odd 40. However, the second round of vote detailed PPP with 84 UCs and Jamaat to 82. The arithmetic of cobbling an alliance with PTI had almost assured Jamaat’s Naeem-ur-Rehman with the high office as the tally reached a comfortable 191. With PPP sitting pretty cool with 184, all it looks for is a slip between the cup and the lip. Given the upheavals on the political landscape, any surprise cannot be ruled out at the altar of fudging of figures.

Karachiites are desperately in need of a stable and empowered local government. The city of 25 million has been longing for basic amenities and infrastructure development for decades. They had exercised desired resilience by voting on a decisive pattern as they did not entrust their trust in parties that had taken them for a ride. This aspect demands an equal sense of reciprocity from the victors, and a format of assured deliverance. The PPP and Jamaat should look at the broader picture of cooperation, rather than confrontation.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2023.

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