KARACHI, Sept 29: People of Karachi will not allow the Muttahida Qaumi Movement to repeat the rigging and unfair means it had resorted to in the August 18 elections, former Karachi nazim Niamatullah Khan said on Thursday, adding that in the October 6 polling, people would foil all such bids through their presence and vigilance until the results of the third phase of LB poll process were out.

Mr Khan, who is seeking his re-election, now as a consensus candidate of various opposition parties which have formed the Tameer-i-Karachi Ittehad (TKI), was speaking at a reception hosted for him in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Wednesday night.

He alleged that the MQM which had been doing politics in the name of rights in the past, had failed to deliver over the 18 years now. On the contrary, he claimed, that party had deprived people of their fundamental rights.

“This party, which claims of having representation of masses in Karachi, had bagged only two per cent votes in the August 18 election and this situation had forced it to indulge in rigging,” he claimed. October 6 would be a day of people’s victory, he declared, adding that on that day, the TKI would be able resume its efforts towards turning the city into a cradle of peace, progress and prosperity.

Mr Khan said that the TKI had been formed to rid Karachi people of terrorists. Accusing the MQM of having ‘sinister designs’ against the country, he said that dismantling of this party had now become necessary for the solidarity and survival of Pakistan.

According to Niamatullah Khan, every effort was made to serve people of Karachi while he was holding the office of city nazim, but at the same time, 26 MQM ministers and advisers continued to create obstacle in this regard to hamper development activities in Karachi. However, he added, he overcame all difficulties.

KTI candidate for naib nazim, Saeed Ghani of the Awam Dost group, also spoke on the occasion. He pledged efforts towards elimination of ‘TT culture’ as well as extortion and killings in order to secure future of youths of Karachi.

Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami, Karachi, Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui said that kidnapping councillors and threats could not work to avoid the obvious victory of KTI candidates in the October 6 elections.

Deputy chief of MMA, Sindh, Allama Hasan Turabi, President of Tehrik-i-Insaaf, Sindh, Zubair Khan and provincial chief of the Awami National Party Shahi Syed were among others who spoke.