Jamaat-i-Islami Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman announced on Monday that he is relinquishing the Sindh Assembly seat he secured in the February 8 elections, citing alleged electoral irregularities.
As per the preliminary results declared by the Election Commission of Pakistan for the February 8 general elections, Naeem had emerged victorious from the PS-129 constituency (Karachi Central VIII) with 26,296 votes. The runner-up was Muaz Muqaddam of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) with 20,296 votes.
This decision comes after the party organized sit-ins at eight different crucial locations in Karachi to protest against perceived rigging in the polls. Hafiz Naeem had previously asserted that despite his party’s and independent candidates’ majority in the national and provincial assembly constituencies in Karachi, MQM-P was being imposed on the city.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Hafiz Naeem expressed his frustration, stating, “A PTI-backed independent candidate has emerged victorious, and I will not accept this seat.” He claimed that upon reviewing the election forms, discrepancies were identified, and the Election Commission of Pakistan had inaccurately reported fewer votes for their party. Consequently, he declared his decision to forfeit the seat.
Hafiz Naeem further alleged that PTI-backed independent candidate Saif Bari, according to their team’s calculations, had actually won, with his votes allegedly reduced from 31,000 to 11,000. The Election Commission of Pakistan recorded Bari’s vote count as 11,357.
In a social media post on platform X, Hafiz Naeem emphasized, “Therefore, in accordance with my conscience and the moral principles of my party, I am vacating my provincial assembly seat and demanding the return of all seats we won.”
In his media talk, Hafiz Naeem alleged that the votes cast for the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) from PS-129 were inflated from 6,000 to 20,000.
“I also say to the workers of MQM-P that if God has shown you the right path and your conscience speaks, then come before the nation and announce that ‘we have not won’.”
“They faced the worst defeat — all of them including Mustafa Kamal,” he said, vowing to bring forth “each and every vote to show the fraud that has been committed with the nation”.
The JI leader stated, “I am forfeiting my seat and the seat which is ours should be given to us. We will challenge [the results of] the seats [where we know] we have won. We will not claim what we have lost”.
Reaffirming his commitment to the public by stating his aversion to acquiring “even a single additional vote,” Hafiz Naeem declared, “The people have cast their votes in our favor, endorsing our vision. The city of Karachi stands with JI, with me, and my team, and I consider it an honor.”
Expressing his discontent, he asserted, “This seat of mine serves as a rebuke to the election commission. We do not seek this seat as a handout. Give us what is rightfully ours.”
In a veiled reference to MQM-P, Naeem remarked that candidates securing “3,000 to 4,000 votes were being imposed” on the nation.
Acknowledging that not everyone may agree with his decision, he stated, “Even if they attempt to erase us, they cannot remove us from the hearts of the people. We will continue to fight for the people, employing democratic means and organizing peaceful demonstrations.”
The JI leader emphasized that the public, informed through social media, is aware of everything, and a “fake mandate” cannot be forced upon them. He called for nullifying the election results in Karachi and conducting a fresh electoral process. Directing his appeal to Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, he questioned, “Chief justice sahib, where should the people turn?”
Responding to Rehman’s decision, the PTI praised him, expressing expectations for “similar honesty” from other candidates. In a post on X, the PTI emphasized the indispensability of transparency for democracy to thrive.
PTI leader Taimur Khan Jhagra, who was a candidate for a provincial assembly seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said, “All we need is people like this for the country to progress. Well done!”
He further wrote: “The more people like deputy commissioner Afaq Wazir dig their heels to cover their illegalities in changing the results on eight Peshawar seats, the more they are criminally implicating themselves.”