KARACHI: Elected in the two phases of the Local Government (LG) polls across Sindh, over 10,000 public representatives will take their oath of respective memberships today (Monday).
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), over 10,000 elected LG representatives, including UC chairmen and vice chairmen of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and five municipal corporations, 23 district councils, town committees and municipal committees, would take oath during ceremonies to be held at different places across the province.
The ECP has assigned the duties of coordinating officers to respective deputy commissioners (DCs), assistant commissioners (ACs) and other officials for the oath-taking ceremonies.
Arrangements in this regard have been finalized and the process would be completed from 10am to 4pm at the designated places. The oath-taking ceremonies will be held in govt offices, schools, wedding halls, etc as the DCs, ACs and other relevant authorities have been entrusted with the duties of returning officers.
Out of the total 1,476 municipal representatives in Karachi, over 1,460 elected ones are expected to take oath today. In Karachi, the ROs have arranged the oath-taking events at various government offices, wedding halls and other places. The Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) has a lead in the seats of chairmen and vice-chairmen of the union committee in Karachi while the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) has a clear majority of ward councilors. No party has a simple majority for the election of mayor and deputy mayor of Karachi.
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has announced its support for the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), but due to the prevailing political situation the PTI is in, there are threats of internal grouping in the JI and PTI. Many elected representatives of the PTI have been booked in cases pertaining to May 9 violence and it remains to be seen whether they will be allowed to take oath or face arrests.
At this time, according to the final and unofficial results, as per the party seats, the number of KMC members belonging to the JI and PTI is 193 while the number of the alliance of the PPP, Pakistan Muslim League-N and JUI-F is 173. Only one member is from the Tehreek Labaik Pakistan (TLP) in the City Council.
For the post of mayor, each bloc needs the support of 184 members in the first stage. If no candidate can get the required number of votes in the first stage, then in the second stage, the one who gets the majority of the members in the house will win the mayoral election. PPP sources claim that around two dozen elected chairmen of the PTI were in contact with them and ready to support its nominated candidate.
However, it is widely said that if the elected representatives of the JI and PTI remained united, then JI’s Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman could emerge as a joint candidate and be easily elected as mayor of Karachi. Also, the nomination process on seats reserved for women, labourers/peasants, youth, minority and transgender persons will begin today.
Meanwhile, PTI Karachi chapter has rejected the reports regarding formation of a forward bloc in its elected LG representatives. The PTI Karachi rejected the reports of a forward bloc in the elected representatives ahead of the elections for mayor and deputy mayor. A party spokesperson said in a statement that the PTI representatives are in contact with the leadership and they will take oath today.
The party clarified that there is no truth in the reports about forward bloc. It added that the PPP’s negative tactics will be exposed ahead of the mayor’s elections if the LG representatives are stopped from taking part in the upcoming political process. “PTI and JI collectively have gained a majority after the recent LG elections and Karachi mayor will be elected from their alliance,” it concluded.
According to details, the swearing-in ceremony of 239 Union Council chairmen, vice chairmen and ward members of Karachi will be held today. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at 12 noon at Degree College near Coast Guard in Korangi. The swearing-in ceremony for Karachi’s East district will be held between 10 am to 3 pm in the DC office. The swearing-in will also be held at the DC Complex in the South District at 11 am to 3 pm.
The oath-taking ceremony will also take place at 11 am in the Kemari district at Paradise Banquet Hub River Road. The swearing-in ceremony for the local representatives of the district West will be held at 11am at the office of the Deputy Commissioner.
