This announcement was made by Mr Taj Haider of the Pakistan People’s Party, which backs the Awam Dost Panel, at a crowded press conference on Friday at the Karachi Press Club. Local leaders of nearly all the opposition parties and groups were present at the press conference.

Speaking on behalf of the combined opposition, Mr Haider also made public the names of the joint opposition candidates seeking their election as nazims of all 18 towns of Karachi.

Niamatullah Khan and Saeed Ghani, on the occasion, expressed gratitude over their nomination, and said that they now expected more than the required votes.

Ms Fauzia Wahab of the Awam Dost Panel and Syed Zahid Hussain of the PML-N-backed Watan Nawaz Panel, who were candidates for the post of city nazim were not present at the press conference. However, leaders of their groups told journalists that with the consensus already reached among the TKI components, both the candidates stood retired in favour of the joint candidate.

Although there are four aspirants for the slot of city nazim even after the TKI’s decision, the main rivals are likely to be Syed Mustafa Kamal of the Haq Parast Panel, backed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and Niamatullah Khan of the TKI, backed by opposition parties. An interesting situation could emerge in the election as the deciding votes in the game of numbers would be those to be cast by those outside the government or opposition camps. Their strength has been estimated by observers at around 200.

A winner will have to poll 1,158 votes out of the total 2,314. The Haq Parast candidate claims having enough support to secure 1,362 votes of his group and its allies. In addition, he claims, 195 councillors of smaller groups would also vote for him. The TKI candidate claims that he had the support of 1,254 councillors in addition to independents and other groups.

The observer point out that the total of the votes claimed by the two major contestants, excluding the independents and smaller groups, comes to 2,616 which means there are still 300 votes that could be cast in favour of any of the candidates.

The polling, in the third phase of the local government elections, for electing nazims and naib nazims of the city district, district and town councils, as well as councillor on the reserved seats for women, peasants/workers and minorities in the city and town councils will be held on October 6.

Mr Taj Haider told journalists that the combined opposition had formed the TKI for the election of city nazim, naib nazim and town nazim.

“We have pledged to demonstrate our unity and solidarity in order to ensure continuity of the ongoing development process and help turn Karachi into a city of peace, harmony and tranquillity, as well as saving the metropolis from activities of terrorists and extortionists.”

When his attention was drawn to the absence of JUP and JUI leaders from the press conference, he said their reservations were being removed.

He said that on all the seats where adjustment had been finalized, the candidates other than the TKI-nominated ones would stand retired.

The others present on the occasion were Rashid Rabbani, Rafique Engineer, Waqar Mehdi and Rahil Iqbal of the PPP; Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui and Birjees Ahmad of the JUI; Shahi Syed, Amin Khattak and Amir Nawab of the ANP; Zubair Ahmad Khan of the Tehrik Insaaf; Allama Hasan Turabi of the Islami Tehrik; Nihal Hashmi of the PML-N; Ghulam Sarwar Awan of the PPI; Basharat Mirza of the PDP; and Maulana Ferozuddin Hazarvi of the Ulema Council.

Following is the arrangement finalized by the TKI under seat adjustment: (AD = Awam Dost, AK = Al-Khidmat)

Keamari Town: Nazim: AD (Zulfikar Yunus), Naib Nazim: AD; Site Town: Nazim: Khidmatgar (Amir Nawab), Naib Nazim: AK; Baldia Town: Nazim: AK (Muhammad Ashraf Awan), Naib Nazim: (Insaan Dost); Orangi Town: Nazim: AD (Jamilur Rehman), Naib Nazim: AD; Lyari Town: Nazim: AD (Malik Mohammad Khan), Naib Nazim: AD; Saddar Town: Nazim: AD (Abdul Habib Memon, Naib Nazim: AD; Bin Qasim: Nazim: AD (Omar Jat), Naib Nazim: AK; Gadap Town: Nazim: AD (Murtaza Baloch), Naib Nazim: AD; Korangi Town: Nazim: AK (Abdul Jamil Khan), Naib Nazim: AK; Landhi Town: Nazim: Watan Nawaz (Rana Safdar); Malir Town: Nazim: AD (Mehmood Alvi), Naib Nazim: AD; Shah Fasial Town: Nazim: AK (Islamullah Siddiqui), Naib Nazim: AK; Jamshed Town: Nazim: AK (Raja Arif Sultan), Naib Nazim: AD; Gulshan Town: Nazim: AK (Abdul Wahab), Naib Nazim: AK; New Karachi Town: Nazim: AK (Saeed Ahmad Siddiqui), Naib Nazim: AK; Gulberg Town: Nazim: AK (Liaquat Ali Khan), Naib Nazim: AK; Liaquatabad Town: Nazim: AK (Basharat Ali), Naib Nazim: AK; North Nazimabad Town: Nazim: AK (Qazi Aamir), Naib Nazim: AK.

HAQ PARAST CANDIDATES: Earlier, the Haq Parast Panel released the list of its 18 candidates for the slot of town nazim. Following is the list:

Landhi Town: Ismail Qureshi, Korangi Town: Arif Khan advocate, Shah Faisal Town: Mohammad Imran Pervez, Malir Town: Ansar Ahmad, Jamshed Town: Col (r) Syed Tahir Mashhadi, Gulshan Town: Wasay Jalil, Gulberg Town: Mohammad Mauood Hayat, Liaquatabad Town: Hafiz Osama Qadri, North Nazimabad Town: Mumtaz Hameed, New Karachi Town: Mohammad Hanif Soorti, Gadap Town: Mohammad Adil, Orangi Town: Abdul Haque, Site Town: Izhar Ahmad Khan, Saddar Town: Mohammad Dilawar, Baldia Town: Kamran Akhtar, Lyari Town: Dhani Bux Otho, Keamari Town: Shabbir Ansari, Bin Qasim Town: Abdul Haque Mengal.