KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has expelled 11 city council members who remained absent in the Karachi Mayor elections.
PTI Sindh’s President Haleem Adil Shaikh issued the order after directed the party’s union committee (UC) chairmen, vice chairmen, councilors and elected members to ensure their presence in the elections.
The party had decided to vote for Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman. However, the party represented dissented and stayed away, giving an easy victory to PPP’s Murtaza Wahab.
The PTI subsequently decided to take action against party members for violation policy. It also blamed Mominabad Town vice chairman Muhammad Akbar for conspiring against the party.
The city council members expelled from the PTI include Mominabad’s Asadullah, Salahuddin, Amjad Ali, Malir’s Asim Hyder, Saddar Town’s Aslam Niazi, Zubair Musa, and Suleman Khan, Manghopir’s Azizullah, Lyari’s Abdul Ghani, and reserved seat for women member Sanobar Farhan.
The PTI had issued show-cause notices to the 29 Union Committee members absent during mayoral elections and sought their reply in three days. It warmed of action over failure to submit a satisfactory reply.
PPP candidate Murtaza Wahab was elected Karachi mayor after securing 173 votes through a show of hand. JI candidate Hafiz Naeemur Rehman secured 160 votes.
According to the attendance register, 332 elected members reached the polling station, while 34 members of the city council failed to reach the polling station.
After the PTI reached a deal with Jamaat-e-Islami, a group of the elected UC chairmen and vice chairmen had announced that they would not follow their party decision and abstain from the voting process.
UC chairmen Asad Aman claimed that more than 30 elected representatives of the PTI would not vote for Hafiz Naeemur Rehman due to disagreements with the party’s Karachi leadership. He claimed more than 30 UC chairmen and vice chairmen have decided to abstain from the polls.
