KARACHI, Sept 15: Former city nazim Niamatullah Khan on Thursday expressed his confidence that councillors, even many belonging to the Muttahida (Haq Parast group), would elect him as nazim of Karachi district for another four-year term in the third phase of the local body election.
“I need four more years to transform Karachi into a developed city of this country,” he said while talking to newsmen at after attending a function held on the fifth day of the Students’ Week being observed at the University of Karachi.
“People have given me a mandate in the previous phases of the LB polls and an overwhelming majority of Karachiites wants me to serve them for another four years,” he claimed.
Refuting the remarks attributed to him that he enjoyed Islamabad’s support in his quest for the nazim’s slot, Mr Khan said he had not met President Pervez Musharraf for the last six months.
“I trust in Almighty Allah… and I am confident about my return as millions of people have voted for me and are praying for my success keeping in view my services,” he asserted. He said that on the basis of his services to the city and its citizens, he had been contesting the election without any campaign, and people were supporting him.
Regarding the LB election process till date, Niamatullah Khan said that instead of free, fair and transparent polls, a fraud had been resorted to.
In reply to a question, he argued that the caretakers had taken over the administration of local body offices more than 75 days back now and, as such, he could not be blamed for choking of drains and nullahs and the resultant accumulation of water on roads.
Earlier, speaking at the programme, Ru-Baru, organized by the Islami Jamiat Talaba, Niamatullah Khan recounted the development projects executed and planned during his tenure as city nazim to improve and strengthen the city’s infrastructure. He also made mention of the introduction of large-size buses, development of parks and gardens, moves towards the construction of mass transit, installation of desalination, sewerage and water treatment plants, etc.
Replying to a question, he said not only the loser candidates, general public also believed that massive rigging had been resorted to in the LB polls which had made the process a total fraud.
“The MQM, in connivance with police, rangers, army and other agencies, as well as the Election Commission, rigged the election and deprived people of their right to vote,” he alleged.
PML-N leader and a former governor Mamnoon Hussain, DIG (Investigation) Akbar Arain and TV artist Shakeel also took part in the question-answer programme during which Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan and former test cricketer Moin Khan answered questions put up by students by phone.
