KARACHI: The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Friday observed a ‘Black Day’ by organising countrywide protests against the alleged abuse of power by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government in Sindh to win the Karachi mayoral election.

The call for holding countrywide protests was given by JI chief Sirajul Haq. Similar protests were held in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas, Multan and other parts of the country.

In the metropolis, the party staged a demonstration on main Shahrah-i-Quaideen.

Carrying placards and banners, a large number of the JI activists assembled on the key road link in the evening and chanted slogans against the rigged local government elections in Karachi.

Addressing the protesters, JI-Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said the entire country had expressed solidarity with Karachi and the Karachiites against rigging in the local government elections.

Observes ‘Black Day’ to protest ‘abuse of power’ by PPP

More than 30 million Karachiites would not accept the fake mayoral elections in Karachi, he said

“Even children across the country have been identifying the PPP leadership as a mandate thief,” he said. “Asif Ali Zardari and his party are eyeing the coveted post of the prime minister for Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, but they should be aware that the PPP and its leadership will face resistance across the country. They will have to answer for their misdeeds and murder of the democracy through snatching the mandate of others.”

He vowed that his party would relaunch its ‘Karachi Rights Movement’. He also announced to call a “Massive Karachi Rights Convention” very soon.

PPP hits back

On the other hand, the PPP suggested Hafiz Naeem to hold the leaderships of his own party and its ally the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) responsible for his defeat in the mayoral election as they failed to ensure the crucial votes of over 30 elected members in the final phase of the local government polls.

Talking to journalists here at the Sindh Assembly building, Provincial Labour and Human Resources Minister Saeed Ghani said the Karachi’s mayoral election was held in accordance with law and those trying to describe the entire electoral process as controversial were wrong.

“The PTI leadership and JI’s candidate for the slot of mayor, Hafiz Naeem, should be held responsible for the decision of over 30 PTI’s City Council members to abstain from voting,” he said. “From day one Hafiz Naeem was persisting with his stubborn desire to become the mayor of Karachi. Murtaza Wahab and Salman Murad as mayor and deputy mayor would do their best to come up to the expectations of the Karachiites,” he said.

He said the PPP wanted to work with all political parties only to serve the people of Karachi in the best possible manner, but it should not be blamed for the ‘internal differences’ of the PTI that led to the defeat of its allied party in the mayoral election.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2023