Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman addresses a public rally in Karachi’s Bagh-e-Jinnah
In light of his prior “experience” in the local government polls, Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman, the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi, issued a warning on Sunday, threatening to encircle the offices of returning officers (ROs) if there are any perceived alterations to the election results on February 8.
Addressing a gathering at Karachi’s Bagh-e-Jinnah, the JI Karachi leader stated, “[JI] will surround the offices of District Returning Officers (DROs) and Returning Officers (ROs) if [election] results are tampered with on February 8.”
It’s noteworthy that JI had contested the results of the Karachi Mayor elections last June, accusing the PPP of stealing the city’s mandate. The JI secured 86 union councils, coming second after the PPP, which won 93 UCs in the local government polls in Karachi.
The mayoral elections took place on June 15, with PPP’s Murtaza Wahab securing 173 votes and the JI’s Karachi chief receiving 160 votes. Before the polls for the coveted position, the PTI, with 41 seats, announced support for the JI candidate.
Launching a fresh criticism at the PPP and MQM-P, the JI leader claimed that Karachi’s mandate had been sold multiple times. He accused MQM-P of selling Karachi’s mandate to feudal lords and barons.
Naeem mentioned that the two parties sold Karachi’s sole power distribution company, K-Electric, at a nominal price. He pledged to conduct a forensic audit of K-Electric and expose the political parties involved in corrupt practices.
Linking Karachi’s progress with that of the entire Pakistan, Naeem argued that despite all the challenges, the port city continued to drive the country’s economy.
“Karachi can make Pakistan a developed nation.” If the port city is granted its due financial rights, rulers would not have to seek assistance globally.
During the event, the JI leader warned that if the issues of intermediate students are not addressed within two days, they would stage a protest outside the Chief Minister’s House.
It’s worth noting that the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) recently released first-year (Part-I) examination results, showing a significant number of failures, raising concerns about declining student performance.
According to statistics, 80% of candidates failed in Arts (regular), 72% in Arts (private), and 63% in Commerce (private) groups.
Earlier this month, only 36.5% of candidates were successful in Pre-Medical, 34.79% in Pre-Engineering, and 38.69% in Computer Science groups.
During the event, JI Emir Sirajul Haq referred to the mass public rally as a “referendum” and predicted that February 8 would mark the end of the “dacoits’ rule”.
“PPP and MQM-P have spoiled several decades of the nation,” he claimed, asserting that their term would not come again. Haq held the political parties in power for the past 76 years responsible for corruption, rising inflation, poverty, and lawlessness in the country.
