KARACHI             -            Unprecedented delay in the compilation and announcement of results of the Local Government election in Karachi raise many eyebrows as all main contenders including Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and even Pakistan Peoples Party expressed their reservations. According to unofficial results of 235 union committees so far, PPP was leading with 93 seats followed by the JI with 86 wins. PTI stood at third with 40 UCs while Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz bagged seven UCs. Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl and independents also grabbed three seats each. Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan won two while Muhajir Qaumi Movement bagged one UC. Polling was held on 235 UCs out of Karachi’s total 246 as the polls were postponed on 11 seats after demise of candidates. On the other hand, Provincial Election Commissioner Sindh Ejaz Anwar Chohan said that the election commission amicably performed its duty of conducting second phase of local bodies election in the province. Talking to reporters in Karachi, he said fifty-seven returning officers performed duties in Karachi for elections on two hundred forty six union committees. He said that results of all the constituencies will be ready by the evening. PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari congratulate party workers over ‘historic win for PPP in this LB elections.’ Congratulations PPP, our polling agents are reporting Hyderabad mayor will be a jiyala! Grateful to the people of Hyderabad for their support. IA.” Bilawal tweeted. Pakistan Peoples Party Karachi Division President and Provincial Minister Saeed Ghani said that according to the unofficial results, the his party won more than 100 union committees. “The people of Karachi declared the PPP as the biggest political party in the city. No single party can elect its Mayor Karachi, but it is certain that the PPP will not make alliance with the PTI,” Ghani expressed these views while addressing a press conference in the committee room of the Sindh Assembly. He said in the local government elections, the people of Karachi trusted the PPP as the party emerged as the single largest party in Karachi. Ghani also congratulated Jamaat-e-Islami and its Karachi Chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman. “The JI’s performance has been better and according to the results so far, the JI is slightly behind the PPP,” he added. He said that the Sindh government of PPP had served the citizens of Karachi and its results of the local government election were evident of it. Ghani said that the perception regarding PPP is wrong that it never got good results in Karachi’s local government. In response to a question, the provincial minister said that the PPP was also concerned about the delay in the results. He said that the PPP would win over 100 UCs and Jamaat-e-Islami would stand second with not much difference. I Karachi chief Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman while addressing a press conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq, the JI Karachi headquarters, said that the party had made a major historical comeback in the political arena of the city. He said that the party won 91 UCs, 15 further won pending official confirmation, whereas dispute erupted on 10 UCs. He said the local government elections were a crucial demand of the party and the JI had been campaigning for the polls since long. On the occasion, he further said that the JI successfully got the elections done despite all out efforts by the opponents against holding the polls. While highlighting the PPP government in Sindh’s behavior and the conduct of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement as well as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s government in KP and Punjab, the JI leader said that the so-called political parties have been afraid of the local government as it provides basis for democracy on the grass root level. However, he said, the pressure by the people compelled the PPP government to hold the polls. Engr Naeemur Rehman also hailed the Election Commission or Pakistan for taking a stand and holding the elections despite immense pressure by the PPP and the MQM against doing so. He also congratulated the residents of Karachi and Hyderabad for the local government elections. Talking about the low turnout of voters, he said that the PPP government and its allies successfully created an ambiguity surrounding the polls till Sunday midnight. In response to the claim by the MQM-P over the low turnout, he asked why the turnout was just eight percent in the Landhi by polls when the MQM-P itself was contesting the polls. Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rejected the results of the local government polls and termed it “peacefully” rigged elections. PTI Sindh President and former Federal Minister Syed Ali Haider Zaidi in a news conference said that the ECP had failed in holding a free, fair, and transparent election in Karachi. “The ECP is directly responsible for the rigging that occurred on Sunday. Throughout the polling day, several clips of election rigging were shown by the media,” Zaidi said. He said that the ECP was terming the election as peaceful but was a peacefully rigged. Zaidi stated that the various Form 11 in PTI’s possession, which are duly signed and fingerprinted by the respective Presiding Officers indicated that his party had won 70 UCs throughout Karachi. He lamented that the PTI candidates were not receiving their results from the Returning Officers even after lapse of several hours. The PTI Sindh president alleged that the political engineering was done by the District Commissioners and Returning Officers behind closed doors to manipulate the results. “Former Prime Minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan rightly described the ECP as biased and the B-Team of PDM. All the news channels showed rigging clips throughout the day but the ECP did nothing to stop it,” he added. Zaidi said that PTI MPAs, Rabistan Khan and Adeel Ahmed were arrested by the police for trying to stop the rigging while Amjad Afridi was beaten up by the police and arrested for terrorism. The PTI Sindh President stated that his party rejected the results and the next course of action would be announced after consulting with the leadership. “Seeing the condition of Sindh especially Karachi under the PPP-led Sindh government during the past 15 years, no person could vote for PPP,” he said. PTI Karachi President Bilal Ghaffar and several PTI candidates contesting Karachi local elections were also present. Separately, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the conduct of free, fair, and peaceful elections of local bodies in the second phase was the manifestation of his government’s commitment to the people of the province and to the democratic process. He also congratulated all the candidates, irrespective of their party affiliation, who have returned in the LG election. He also disclosed that elections on reserved seats would be held within a month to complete the process. This he said while talking to the media at Expo Center where he visited the Iranian Single Country Exhibition on Monday. Murad appreciated and thanked law enforcement agencies, including police, Rangers, FC, and Pak Army for ensuring the peaceful process of the election though there were some threat alerts. Talking about the delay in declaring election results, the CM said that he had talked to Election Commissioner, Sindh with the request to declare the results at the earliest. “Some people are giving the impression that the provincial government is causing a delay in the issuance of the result, as a matter of fact, my government has nothing to do with counting and releasing results,” he said and added it was the job and the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan for which he had already spoken with the ECP He said that the main reason behind the delay in declaring the result, as told by the election commission, was the counting of votes twice by the presiding officers. The chief minister said that he has also spoken with Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman and told him that it was not only his party [Jamat e Islami] but the PPP was also not receiving the results. He added that the Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Shah was in constant touch with Hafiz Naeem and others, and they all were trying to get the results at the earliest. Murad also thanked the people of Sindh for reposing confidence in the Pakistan Peoples Party by electing them across the province. To a question, the CM said that the government would cooperate with the `to be elected’ Mayor of Karachi and strengthen him. “I am sure the new Mayor would not cry for want of power but would focus to serve the people of this city and its people,” he said and added the local bodies have all the powers they need to serve the people. Replying to a question, Murad said that he made the last ditch effort to persuade the MQM-P to contest the LG election but they choose to boycott the process. He added “when a political party chooses to boycott the election means it is creating a vacuum that other parties fill in,” he said and went on to say that once the PPP had boycotted the election held on a non-party basis [under Zia regime] that caused huge political loss to the party. The chief minister said that with the consultation of all the stakeholders, his government had passed the local government law under which towns have been created in the city. “I am sure this system would deliver and serve the people,” he said. To a question, Murad Shah said that in Karachi elections were held on 235 seats of them, and hopefully PPP would win over 100 seats. “There is a tough contest between three parties - PPP, Jamaat e Islami, and PTI,” he said. Talking about the LG election in Hyderabad, the CM said that out of 160 seats, the PPP has won 104/105. “We have won district Council Hyderabad and 99 towns and municipalities,” he said. Bilawal celebrates as PPP becomes ‘single largest party in Karachi’ Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Monday that he has been overwhelmed by the support of his city, his birthplace, for choosing ppp for the first time. He said, ‘together we will build the Karachi we deserve.’ The PPP chairman Monday tweeted that according to the feedback from their polling agents, the single largest party in Karachi would be PPP.