Syed Nasir Hussain asserts PPP's right to Karachi mayorship

As the upcoming elections for the mayor of Karachi approach, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, the Minister of Local Government in Sindh, has reiterated that the highly coveted position should rightfully belong to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Shah emphasised that the PPP emerged as the largest party during the local body elections in the metropolis. However, despite their success, the party failed to secure the simple majority of 179 votes required for the mayor's seat.

To secure the mayorship, the PPP will need the support of at least 22 seats, even with potential alliances with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The political landscape took an interesting turn when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) expressed support for Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman from the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) for the mayoral post. 

The recent development has put Hafiz Naeem in a strong position to be elected as the mayor, as his party claims to have enough numbers to establish a local government in the city. In fact, if the JI forms a coalition with the PTI, their total seats would reach 191.

In a statement, Minister Shah expressed the PPP's desire to collaborate with Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman for the development of the port city, highlighting his respectability and the party's willingness to work with him. 

Regarding the upcoming mayoral elections scheduled for June 15, Shah emphasised that no one should feel pressured to vote against their conscience and that the PPP would respect any decision made. He also mentioned that key PTI leaders had been distancing themselves from the party following the events of May 9.

According to a recent notification by the district returning officer on June 3, the PPP has obtained the highest number of reserved seats with a tally of 51. The JI secured 43 reserved seats, PTI secured 20, while the PML-N and JI won six and one reserved seats, respectively.