KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s candidate Syed Arshad Hasan was elected Karachi’s deputy mayor in by-election held at the head office of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation on Thursday.

The office had fallen vacant after the disqualification of Arshad Vohra for switching parties after being elected to this position. Mr Vohra had joined the Mustafa Kamal-led Pak Sarzameen Party on Oct 29, 2017, after which then MQM-P convener Farooq Sattar had moved the Election Commission of Pakistan seeking his disqualification under the Local Government Act, 2013. The ECP had declared last month that Mr Vohra stood disqualified.

According to the results announced by the returning officer, the Muttahida candidate has been elected as deputy mayor by securing 194 votes. Pakistan Peoples Party’s candidate Karamullah Waqasi polled the second largest number of votes with 78. As many as nine votes were rejected. The polling started at 9am and continued till 5pm in a peaceful manner.

Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Syed Saif-ur-Rehman and other administrative officers monitored the election process. Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani was also present at the hall.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2019