Karachi: PPP wins by-election amid low voter turnout

KARACHI: The by-election for six local body seats and one contentment board seat in Karachi concluded on Thursday with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) reportedly winning ten out of eleven contested seats.

The PPP secured four chairmen, four councilors and one vice-chairman seat.

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Preliminary results indicated that the PPP candidates secured seats in several districts, including Liaquatabad, Clifton, Baldia Town, Malik, Model Colony, Landhi, and Korangi cantonment boards.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI) won one vice-chairman seat and a single councilor seat.

The voter turnout was extremely low. In West Manghopir Town union council (UC) 5, JI candidate Irfan Usman received 108 votes, while the PPP candidate, Muhammad Irfan, secured a mere 32 votes.

Registered voters from the area are 2,617, yet a mere 237 voters were validated. This puts the turnout to just 4.39 per cent,

Despite being a hotbed of violence, the by-election this year were generally peaceful, with only minor incidents reported. A scuffle did break out between PTI and PPP workers, but it did not escalate.

Voting started at 8 am and continued till 5 pm without interruption.

The election included seats for four chairman seats, two vice-chairman  positions and several ward member seats across different localities.

Local elections are important as they are designed to address the citizens’ local needs, while federal government concentrates more on managing economy, defense and foreign relations.

Representatives are elected at different levels, including municipal corporations, town committees and union councils.

Karachi’s local government structure functions similarly. It includes the city council that oversees municipal services, urban planning and local development projects.

Votes in local by-election are cast directly, with candidates directly choosing their desired candidates in their respective constituency.

The PPP has traditionally been a stronghold within Sindh. It enjoys a strong presence within Karachi, as well, despite stuff competition from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).

Meanwhile, JI enjoys moderate success across the country. It recently shifted focus on rising cost of living and chronic energy crisis across Pakistan to appeal to a wider audience.

The religious party experienced the shift with a change in the leadership. Long-time chief (central ameer) Siraj-ul-Haq resigned in April following a dismal performance in the 2024 general election.

He was succeeded by social activist, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, a relatively fresh face that managed to resonate with the youth far more than his predecessor.

Following his appointment as central ameer, JI experienced a boost in popularity. Naeem organised a nationwide protest against escalating energy prices.

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While PPP celebrated the election result, the JI has alleged rigging, dubbing it “electoral terrorism” by the PPP.