PPP has hurdles to cross for top slots despite historic victory

PPP has hurdles to cross for top slots despite historic victory

KARACHI – Since 1970s, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for the first time has emerged as the largest political party in the recently concluded local government elections in Karachi by bagging 93 seats. 

Despite historic comeback, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s party will require coalition partners  support to win the top positions of mayor and deputy mayor in the Karachi division as it lacks a clear majority. The results declared by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) show that the Jamat-e-Islami (JI) has managed to become the second largest party with 86 seats on the back of Hafiz Naeem’s active political campaign. 

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), however, suffered a setback as it could secure only 40 seats in Karachi where it bagged two-thirds seats in the 2018 general election. The Imran Khan-led party’s nominee for the position of mayor also faced defeat in UC XI of Saddar Town. 

The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) bagged seven seats, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam three, the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) two, independent candidates three and one seat was bagged by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Haqeeqi.  

With a total of 246 union councils (UC) in seven Karachi districts, the ECP conducted elections in 235 constituencies on Jan 15 as polling in 11 remaining UCs was postponed due to deaths of the candidates. 

The MQM-Pakistan boycotted the elections due to reservations over the delimitations of the constituencies. As no one could win a clear majority, now political parties will attempt to make a coalition to bag the position for the executive of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and the local government system. It will make 126 seats cumulatively if JI (86) and PTI (40) reach the coalition agreement, making them strong to win the seats of the mayor and deputy mayor. The JI and PTI alliance is most likely as both parties tried hard for the second phase of LG polls as the PPP government and the MQM-P were reluctant to go into the elections due to the delimitation issue. 

In the recent past, both parties have been on the same page for holding the LG polls in Karachi and Hyderabad and even they announced protest. 

On the other hand, if the PML-N and other parties join hands with the PPP, the coalition would make only 109 seats. There are dim chances of JI coalition with PPP and it is far from impossible that the PTI goes with Asif Ali Zardari. 

It means the Sword of Damocles is still hanging over the PPP head despite historic achievement.