PTI sacks UC chairpersons for abstaining from Karachi mayoral poll

• PPP's Wahab elected mayor after 11 PTI members refused to vote for JI.
• Basic party membership of LB members "terminated immediately".
• Members committed "misconduct in complete defiance to party directives".

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday expelled 10 union committee (UC) chairpersons and one vice-chairman for violating party’s instructions in the recently-held mayoral election in Karachi.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Murtaza Wahab was elected as Karachi's mayor, defeating Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman after the PTI's local body representatives refused to vote for the latter in the elections held on June 15.

According to the results, the PPP leader secured 173 votes while the JI's Karachi chief bagged 160 votes.

In separate notifications issued to the 11 party members earlier today, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh informed the representatives that their basic party membership had been "terminated immediately".

Those PTI members whose memberships have been terminated include:

• Asadullah s/o Amanullah Khan Chairman UC 4 TMC Mominabad, District West, Karachi
• Salahuddin s/o Israrul Haq Chairman UC -6 TMC Mominabad, District West, Karachi
• Amjad Ali s/o M. Roshan Khan Chairman UC-05 TM KMC Mominabad, District West, Karachi
• Asim Haider s/o Saeedul Hassan Chairman UC -03 TMC – Malir, Karachi Malir, District Malir, Karachi
• Aslam Khan Niazi s/o M. Yaqoob Khan Niazi, Chairman UC-02 TMC Saddar Karachi South
• Sanober Farhan w/o Farhan Ayub Returned Candidate on Women reserved seats of PTI quota in Karachi Metropolitan Corporation
• Zubair Musa s/o Muhammad Musa , Chairman UC -02 TMC – Moriro Mirbahar, Keamari
• Abdul Ghani s/o Younus, Chairman UC -01 TMC –Lyari, South, Karachi
• Azizullah s/o Muhammad Saleh Chairman UC- 15 TMC Manghopir, District West, Karachi
• Suelman Khan s/o Ali Haider Chairman UC -05 TMC Shah Faisal Karachi Korangi
• Muhammad Kabeer s/o Mohd Zareen, Vice Chairman UC 07 TMC Mominabad, District West, Karachi

The expulsion notification for almost all the members stated: "I, Haleem Adil Shaikh, President Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Sindh issues Termination Letter ... whereby your basic membership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf stands terminated immediately."

The letters further stated that the members concerned were being terminated "for your absence on election day 15-06-2023 committing misconduct in complete defiance to the party directives issued by myself vide letter No PS/SP/9/2023 dated 11-06-2023 as well as by the Parliamentary leader Mr Muhammad Mubashir Hafizul Haque in KMC city council vide Letter No PS/SP/15/PL/KMC Dated 12-06-2023."

They further maintained that refusal to vote for JI candidates was "in complete defiance to announcement made by the chairman PTI Mr Imran khan supporting the candidates of Jamaat Islami contesting elections for the Mayor and deputy Mayor Karachi Metropolitan Corporation with the direction for all our Members of KMC to cast vote in favour of Mr Naeemur Rahman khan and Mr. Saifuddin contestants for Mayor and Deputy Mayor KMC Respectively."

However, in the case of Muhammad Kabeer (Vice Chairman UC 07 TMC Mominabad), Adil wrote: your actions which were in complete defiance to the party Constitution as well as the directives issued by myself vide letter No PS/SP/9/2023 dated 11-06-2023 as well as by the Parliamentary leader Mr Muhammad Kamran in TMC council Mominabad."

It issued a charge sheet against Kabeer for filing nominations papers as an independent candidate, whereas he was elected on a PTI ticket as Vice Chairman of UC-07 TMC Mominabad.

Moreover, Kabeer and his supporters were accused of attacking the nominated candidates of the said TMC and threatening the nominated parliamentary leader for TMC Mominabad on WhatsApp.

While some expelled members were accused of not submitting a reply, others were slammed for submitting in an identical "stereotype slipshod manner".