MQM's nominated mayor Waseem Akhtar cast his vote for mayoral elections

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement's nominated mayor Waseem Akhtar cast his vote for the mayoral elections on Wednesday.

Earlier today, he was brought in an armoured personnel carrier (APC) from the central jail to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation building where polling for mayor and deputy mayors is underway.

MQM Rehan Hashmi won without contest for chairman from central Karachi.

Polling is underway in five of six District Municipal Corporations in Karachi.

Along with mayors and deputy mayors, elections for chairman and vice chairman of district councils will also be held today. Candidates for chairman and vice chairman have already been elected unopposed in 14 districts in the province, with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) winning all the seats.

These districts include Hyderabad, Sukkur, Matiari, Jamshoro, Sajawal, Tando Allahyar, Mirpur Khas, Umerkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Shaheed Benazirabad, Naushehro Feroze and Qamber Shahdadkot.

On the other side, polls for chairman and vice chairman in eight other districts (Larkana, Tando Muhammad Khan, Badin, Tharparkar, Khairpur, Sanghar, Dadu and Ghotki) will be held today.

A case is pending in the Sindh High Court (SHC) pertaining to the posts of chairman and vice chairman of district council Thatta, due to which polls will not be held there.

Polls in Karachi

Having 214 members in the 308-member city council, MQM enjoys simple majority to form its government in the Karachi Municipal Corporation.

For getting its candidate elected to the mayor office, a political party requires 155 votes, yet MQM's nominated mayor Waseem Akhtar is in prison. Its nominated deputy mayor is Arshad Vohra.

A spokesperson for Karachi Metropolitan Corporation said that preparations for the mayor and deputy mayor election have been finalized and polls will be held as per schedule.