JI moves court against harassment of ‘allies’

Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi has filed a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the harassment and arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf newly-elected Union Council (UC) chairmen and vice-chairmen.

JI was expecting vote from the PTI UC chairmen and vice chairmen for the mayoral election due on June 15, however, their detention would deprive them from the right to cast ballot at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) City Council.

In the petition filed through Usman Farooq Advocate, the stand has been taken that the PPP-led Sindh government is continuously harassing the UC chairmen. It is requested that arrests of PTI's UC chairmen be stopped.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Ameer Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, while talking to the media after filing the petition against alleged harassment of elected local body representative for an urgent hearing. He said, municipal elections are being held hostage.

He alleged that the Sindh government is using dirty tactics to capture elections which were held after two and a half years of struggle.

Hafiz Naeem said that the Peoples Party doesn't have enough strength to bring its mayor so it is trying other ways like buying people, rigging or by putting the elected members of other parties in jails.

He questioned, "Why Karachi elections are held hostage, why taking action in Karachi by using the name of the army and their actions?"

He claimed that JI got the highest number of votes despite PPP's favourite staff and controversial voter lists.

He alleged that after the polling time ended, PPP through its returning officers changed the results and declared PPP candidates successful. He said the seats of Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) were also captured in the same way.

Hafiz Naeem claimed that JI has the full number of 193 and PTI has announced its support to the JI while PPP together with its allies has only 163 seats.

He said that Bilawal Bhutto and Saeed Ghani claim that the mayor will be a jayala. Finding no choice but to change loyalties of opponent people by putting them in jails or buying people. Four or five chairman could not take oath because they are in jail, several vice-chairmen are also in prison. The JI's Karachi Ameer said that the demand of the ladlas (beloveds) is that nominations have been filed; there are eight seats to be given to PTI. After which PTI has to get 16 seats. He said the PPP is stigma on democracy.

He claimed that Zardari wants to make Bilawal the prime minister. That's why they want the mayor of Karachi to be jayala by hook or crook by crushing the law, violating the constitution. The EC is working as a slave of the PPP. The JI Karachi chief claimed that PTI's reserved seats were removed from the list of ROs. He reiterate that the mayor of Karachi will be from JI, representatives of PTI are in touch with us.

Hafiz Naeem, while describing the situation of the city said that Karachi is facing serious municipal problems. In 18 years K4 plan could not be made. They announced the project but funds were not allocated in the budget, no one is here to ask.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2023.