KARACHI: The Jama­at­-i-Islami on Thursday alleged that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was conniving with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to rig the local bodies by-elections in which the ruling PPP swept the polls in Karachi and 13 districts of Sindh.

Addressing a press conference at party headquarters Idara Noor-i-Haq, JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar lambasted the ECP, saying that the commission once again “failed” to hold transparent by-polls in Karachi and other parts of Sindh.

He said there was a clear evidence that the electoral process had been rigged and hijacked.

The JI leader expressed grave reservations over the recent LG by-elections in Sindh, and said that once again the performance of the ECP had come under serious question.

“Its failure to conduct fair elections for one chairman, three vice-chairmen and one ward seats in Karachi has damaged public confidence,” he said.

“We are thankful to the people of Orangi who trusted Jamaat-i-Islami in UC-7, Ward-4 who out-rightly rejected the PPP. The PPP chants ‘democracy’ all the time, but its real face is ‘rigging and dishonesty’.”

He said that even after 18 years, the PPP was unwilling to implement the Provincial Finance Commission and fearful of devolving powers to the grassroots.

After the 18th Amendment, Karachi’s share, which was 49pc, had been reduced to only 5.8 per cent, he added.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2025