KARACHI – Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi emir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman relinquished the provincial assembly seat, PS-129, in Karachi. He stated that he did not win the seat; instead, it was secured by the candidate backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
During a press conference in Karachi, Naeem asserted that the PTI-supported candidate emerged victorious, and he does not wish to occupy a seat through what he termed as “charity.”
Although he acknowledged his defeat, Naeem pledged to continue the legal and political battle to reclaim all seats lost by his party due to alleged rigging. He emphasized that manipulating the mandate through deceitful means does not change the will of the people.
In the general elections held on February 8, Naeem initially won the Sindh Assembly seat PS-129 from Karachi Central. However, he clarified that it was the PTI-supported candidate who triumphed in PS-129, not him.
Declining to take the oath as a Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) on the contested seat, Naeem advocated for the rightful winner to assume the position.
Referring to the discrepancies in the election documents, he highlighted the disparity between the figures recorded in Form 45 and Form 47. Naeem demanded that election results be based on Form 45, stressing their commitment to reclaim all legitimately won seats.
He criticized the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for its handling of the electoral process and condemned the MQM-P for celebrating what he deemed as a “fake mandate.”
Naeem alleged widespread irregularities, including the withholding of Form 45 from their polling agents and the manipulation of results through Form 47.
Despite these challenges, he asserted that the people expressed overwhelming support for JI in the general elections compared to the previous local government polls.
