Muttahida makes way into JI-dominated local bodies
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, March 30: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement had boycotted the local body elections in 2001, but the party took part in the byelections on Sunday. The MQM thus has a presence now in Sindh local bodies.
This could be expected to speed up development work, slowed because of the tense relationship between the Jamaat-dominated bodies and the MQM.
The byelections were called in some constituencies that fell vacant because of the death of sitting councillors and in some due to the removal of members on technical grounds. Many women seats were not filled, and these were also up for grabs.
In all, elections were announced for over 1,290 constituencies of nazims, naib nazims and councillors, Muslim women, peasant/worker, peasant worker women, and minority seats. But elections could not be held for want of candidates in 150 constituencies.
Under the new system, local governments enjoy vast powers to carry out development work in their respective areas which in the past used to be the prerogative of the provincial government.
Realizing that its boycott of the elections had left it without a base in local bodies, the MQM decided to challenge the religio-political parties in urban centres and feudal-based political parties in the rural areas in the byelection by putting up Haq Parast candidates.
Although official results are yet to be announced, the MQM is the only party which announced before the election day its candidates while other mainstream parties, including the PPP and Jamaat-i-Islami, did not come forward to identify candidates being backed by them.
In Karachi, Sunday's elections were held for 12 Nazim seats and 10 naib nazim seats, 25 Muslim general seats, 21 Muslim women seats, nine peasant/workers, 21 seats of peasants/workers women and 20 minority seats.
Sindh chief minister's adviser Salahuddin Haider on Monday described the results as quite encouraging, pointing out that the MQM had succeeded in making inroads in some of the strongholds of the feudal-controlled constituencies, including Larkana and Dadu.
The MQM has claimed winning 242 seats in the province. In Karachi district alone, out of 115 seats, it says it was able to get its 91 candidates elected, including 12 nazims and naib nazims.
Mr Haider said that although the number of MQM-backed nazims, naib nazims and councillors was small, a beginning had been made to raise a "voice for the development of the province".
Besides, he said, elections of local Sindhi-speaking people on the Haq Parast platform augured well for the unity of Sindhi and Urdu-speaking people. Circles close to the district government, however, expressed their disappointment at the way the by-polls were conducted. They feared that obstacles would be created in the way of development work.
Pakistan People's Party Karachi district president Haji Muzaffar Shujra said the party had won three seats of nazim out of 11. PPP's central information secretary Taj Haider said the way results were achieved was more important than the figures themselves as one cannot expect any progress in a situation of "anarchy".
Jamaat-i-Islami spokesman Sarfraz Ahmed said that in Karachi they were able to clinch one seat of nazim and three seats of naib nazim despite tremendous tension. The MQM's entry into local bodies would increase their interference in the development work which already has come to a standstill.
