KARACHI , May 15, 2023: Despite attaining an overwhelming majority in the local government elections in Karachi, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)has not shortlisted its nominees for the Karachi mayor and deputy mayor post, reported The News on Monday.
According to the publication, the PPP has also not finalised its candidates for the chairmen and vice-chairmen in districts across Sindh.
Sindh PPP President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, in a statement, said that the party would make a formal announcement about its nominees for these posts only after the leadership had made a final decision.
Khuhro termed the names circulating on electronic, print and social media as baseless. He said the PPP leadership had still been considering the proposals for choosing the nominees for these posts but no name had been finalised in any of the districts in Sindh.
All such news items in circulation including those mentioning the PPP’s nominees for districts Sanghar and Larkana were baseless, he clarified.
Social media was abuzz with reports that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while addressing a public meeting near the Merewether Tower on Saturday would announce the party’s nominee for the coveted post of Karachi mayor.
Bilawal, however, made no such announcement during his lengthy speech at the public meeting.
Local government elections in Sindh were held in two phases. The first phase was held on June 26 in 14 districts of Sindh. The PPP emerged victorious in that phase.
The second phase of the elections, which were to be held in Karachi and Hyderabad, was delayed due to last year’s floods. However, they were eventually held on January 15 after much delay.
In the January 15 polls, the Jamaat-e-Islami and PPP were neck and neck in terms of the seats they had secured. However, the PPP took the lead and has now positioned itself for the Karachi mayor and deputy mayor slot with its victories in the by-elections held on May 8.