KARACHI          -          Pakistan People’s Party, Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Sunday emerged as the front-runners for the top slot of mayor Karachi with all claiming to have secured most number of union committees in the local government elections that were marred by low turnout. Although, unofficial results of hardly 10 per cent of UCs had emerged till the filing of the report but all the three parties claimed to have clinched the required number of UCs to get the Mayor Karachi elected of their own party. Polling for 233 union committees in seven districts of Karachi was held with no major untoward incident, however, some reports of minor clashes also emerged. Although the official ratio of turnout was yet to be announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan but considering the electoral process throughout the day the turnout could be estimated not more than 20 percent. Suspicions were raised by political parties including Jamaat-e-Islami and PTI over the delay in compilation and announcement of results of Karachi local government elections. On the other hand, the PPP had rejected the allegations as Sindh government Spokesperson Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that compilation of the results was the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan rather than district officials and the former is responsible for any delay. He claimed that the JI was raising hue and cry over the results as they came to know of their defeat and are making excuses to run away from it. PTI RESERVATIONS Former governor Sindh Imran Ismail claimed that the party had secured enough seats needed to elect its mayor in Karachi and the name of the nominee will be announced by Imran Khan. In a press conference here at Insaf House, PTI leader Imran Ismail said that his party will not accept the results, if they will be rigged. “If the results are changed, the Chief Secretary and IG Sindh will be responsible. He said that despite the low turnout, the PTI had won a large number of UCs. “We will announce our Mayor on Monday,” he added. Imran alleged that ballot papers were stolen Sunday midnight. “If there is an attempt to steal the election, we will not sit comfortably at homes. We will shut down Karachi. The one who got the mandate should be allowed to form the local government in Karachi,” he demanded. JI EXPRESSES RESERVATIONS Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, who is the JI’s candidate for Mayor Karachi, said that his party has secured victory in 100 UCs as their candidates had been leading with a thumping majority in districts East, Central and Korangi. He later in a late-night presser also blamed the deputy commissioners in the city of creating hindrance in issuing the final results and said that the polling agents of the party were not given form 11 and 12, which is their due constitutional right. “If our demands of announcing results are not met in time, we’ll be forced to stage sit-in outside the polling stations and offices of DROs,” he warned. “Some deputy commissioners and district returning officers of the Sindh government, and the government itself, are interfering and the Election Commission of Pakistan has also issued a directive [for releasing the Forms 11 and 12].” He said that despite the directives issued by the ECP, the forms hand not yet been handed over.“You can’t attack our mandate. The people and the city of Karachi have voted for us with great hopes.” The PTI’s official Twitter account also posted videos allegedly showing rigging taking place and wondered where the electoral watchdog was. In a letter after the claims emerged, ECP Deputy Director Sajjad Khattak directed the district returning officers (DROs) to ensure that the complaints of the parties are addressed. “I am directed to say that this office has received various complaints from different political parties and candidates that the presiding officers are not giving copies of Form 11 and Form 12 to their polling agents present at polling stations,” the letter said. On the other side, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also claimed that their party has swept during the second phase of local government elections in Sindh. It is pertinent to mention here that the elections were held on a total of 233 union committees. The elections were also held in 984 wards in the respective UCs. The ECP record showed that 22 candidates had died after the filing of their nominations and polls there were postponed. The ECP had established 4990 polling stations, 18640 polling booths of which 9467 for males and 9173 for females. Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of Paksitan rejected the request of Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to extend the polling time. However, the time was extended at those polling stations where the polling process started late. The polling time was extended as much as the process started late. Jamaat-e-Islami and PTI had requested the Election Commission to extend the polling time. CM praises LEAs, administration Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also visited the control room in the CPO office and reviewed security arrangements. Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput and IG Ghulam Nabi Memon received the Chief Minister on his arrival Murad supervised the process of the polling of local bodies elections on screens and expressed satisfaction over what he termed peaceful polling. Murad directed the law enforcement agencies not to allow any miscreants to disrupt election activities. “All political parties and other stakeholders should follow code of conduct of the ECP,” he added The Chief Minister also congratulated the police over holding of the second phase of the elections in the province peacefully. “The policemen ensured the security of the polling stations, for which they deserve praise. All polling staff especially teachers and employees of other institutions performed their duties in the best way,” Murad said. He said that the district administration had made the best arrangements in conducting the elections. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) also ordered the expulsion of PTI MPA Firdous Shamim Naqvi from a polling station after he allegedly broke the seal of a ballot box during local government polls in Karachi. The incident took place at a polling station set up at the Tehsil Municipal Committee Jinnah. The ECP sought an immediate report from the provincial election commissioner on the matter. A spokesperson for the election watchdog said Naqvi had committed an illegal act by violating the election code of conduct. Denying any wrongdoing, the PTI Sindh Assembly lawmaker urged all candidates to visit their respective polling stations to check ballot box seals and accused the PPP candidates of rigging. “All the candidates are requested to visit their polling stations as soon as possible & check the ballot box’s seals & if they are not tight ask your presiding officers to tighten the seal in front of your eyes. The PPP candidates are involved in riggings,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.