LOWER DIR: Hundreds of Jamaat-i-Islami workers on Sunday took to the streets in Lower Dir here against the Pakistan Peoples Party for its alleged attempts to rig the Karachi mayor elections.

JI central leader Liaquat Baloch, district chief Izazul Mulk and others addressed the protesters, who gathered at the Shaheed Chowk. Earlier, the workers gathered in Balambat and marched on the road to the Shaheed Chowk.

The protesters were chanting slogans against the Sindh government and PPP leaders for allegedly rigging the city mayor’s election.

Addressing the rally, Mr Baloch said the JI had struggled for years for uplift of Karachi and deserved to have its mayor for the mega metropolis. However, he alleged the Sindh government wanted to block its nominee for the post.

He said the PPP wanted to postpone the local body elections, but JI had foiled its plan. He insisted the people would never accept the mayor’s election in Karachi if the PPP succeeded in electing its candidate using government resources.

Other speakers alleged the Sindh government was involved in ‘undemocratic and unconstitutional’ practices to deprive the JI of its mandate. They said the JI had emerged as a strong political party in Karachi and it had the right over mayoral post.

They said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had also announced to support the JI candidate.

The JI leaders said the party workers would not tolerate this ‘illegal, unconstitutional and immoral’ act.

Also on Sunday, Anjuman-i-Tajiran Chakdara president Khwaja Faizul Ghafoor on Sunday demanded of the police to release those Afghans nationals, who had no role in the May 9 and 10 rioting, and arrest the real culprits.

Talking to journalists in Chakdara, he welcomed the release of some Afghans on bail, alleging innocent Afghan refugees, who had no role in riots, were arrested after the May 9 mayhem.

Mr Ghafoor also asked the Afghan elders to advise their youth against indulging in anti-state activities.

YOUTH COMMITS SUICIDE: A youth identified as Wahabullah, 24, a resident of Shako village of Maidan, committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest at his house on Saturday night. He was brought to the District Headquarters Hospital, Timergara, in critical condition where he succumbed to injuries. The motive behind the act could not be ascertained.

The Haya Serai police registered a case and started investigations.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2023