KARACHI: As many as 22 candidates have submitted nomination papers for the election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
Out of total 308 elected councils, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) holds the majority with 214 members while a six-party alliance including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), the Jamat-e-Islami (JI), the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam has 102 members while two members have not taken oath.
Those who submitted papers before the returning officer included MQM’s Waseem Akhtar for the election of Karachi’s mayor. Besides Akhtar, others who submitted on behalf of the MQM for mayor and deputy mayor’s slots are Arshad Abdullah Vohra, Nadeem Hayet Hashmi, M Arif Khan Advocate, Arshad Hussain and Aslam Shah Afridi.
On behalf of the PPP, Karamullah and Farhan Ghani have submitted papers for mayor’s slot. Baloch Khan Gabol of the PPP has submitted papers for the slot of deputy mayor.
On the other hand, Muhammad Rafiq Khan and Muhammad Amin Khan of the PML-N and Muhammad Junaid Mukati of the JI have submitted papers for mayor’s slot.
Meanwhile, KMC Returning Officer Samiuddin Siddiqui has issued protection order to produce MQM’s Waseem Akhtar on August 8 (today).
Waseem Akhtar is in jail in a case involving Dr Asim for allegedly providing treatment and shelter to terrorists.
Earlier, Arshad Ahmed Advocate on behalf of Waseem Akhtar had written a letter to the returning officer and requested him to direct the Central Prison superintendent to produce him on August 8 for scrutiny of nomination papers.
Papers would be scrutinised on August 10 to August 12 while appeals against returning officers’ decision could be made until August 14. Candidates can withdraw their papers by August 15. A notification carrying final names of candidates will be issued on August 16.
The final list of candidates and their electoral symbols would be issued on August 18 and after polling on August 24, final results would be announced on August 29. The newly elected candidates will take oath on August 30.
