Imprisoned Waseem Akhtar elected Karachi mayor: unofficial results

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Waseem Akhtar has been elected the mayor of Karachi on Wednesday.

According to unofficial and unconfirmed results, MQM’s Arshad Vohra has been elected deputy mayor of the city.

A total of 295 out of 308 were cast out in Karachi mayoral elections.

According to the results, the female voter turnout was 99 percent.

Waseem Akhtar, while talking to the media after the announcement of results, thanked the ruling party for accepting the mandate of Karachi.

Newly-elect mayor said that he doesn’t want to discuss the grievances of the past and just wants to move forward for the betterment of the citizens of the city.

He said that all political parties would be taken on board for the development of the city, adding that he was the mayor of Karachi, not of MQM.

Waseem requested the Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah to give adequate powers to municipal representatives.

Earlier today, Waseem Akhtar cast his vote for the mayoral elections.

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 took place.

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

Polling took place in five of six District Municipal Corporations in the metropolis.

Along with mayors and deputy mayors, elections for chairman and vice chairman of district councils was also 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) were also held on Wednesday.

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 were not 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.

A political party requires 155 votes to get its candidate elected for the mayor office.