KARACHI, Oct 22: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad has appointed Muhammad Hussain Mehnati as new chief of the party’s Karachi chapter for three years, beginning from Nov 1, 2007.

Former legislator Muhammad Hussain Mehanti, who had held offices of Karachi JI Secretary and Naib Amir, was elected by secret ballot from amongst 3500 members.

He will replace Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui who will complete his three-year second term on Oct 31. However, Dr Siddiqui will continue to be a member of the central Shoora and a member of the central executive committee. He had assumed office in August 2001 when Niamatullah Khan relinquished responsibilities to contest the election of City Nazim of the City District Government Karachi.

Dr Siddiqui told Dawn that the party’s provincial, district and zone chiefs, except the central Amir, were ineligible to get elected as Amir for a third term in accordance with the amended party constitution.

Under this amendment, which was effected in 2002, the tenure of a Zone Amir is one year, a district Amir two years, a provincial and Karachi Amir three years and central Amir five years.However, when asked, he said that this rule did not apply to the office of the central Amir and that was why incumbent party chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad was in the midst of his fourth term.

In reply to a question, he said the constitution did not allow anyone to aspire for any office as it was the sole prerogative of members who cast their votes by secret ballot. He said only the election commissioner knew the total votes bagged by the new Amir, whose nomination was announced by the party chief. Under the rules of the party elections, the number of votes bagged by the Amir could not be made public, he added.