The MQM had come to a dead end, its case had become untenable. From returning the notification to the idea of issuing an ordinance from the Governor of Sindh, nothing was happening in his favor, so he had no choice but to boycott, and the problem with boycotting was that he was not supported by the founder MQM. It was all this and more that went on with the MQM till the moon night of the elections.These are the issues that answer of this Why did MQM boycott election .
Local government elections in Karachi on January 15, 2023, were delayed by two years. On September 1, 2020, the previous city government of Karachi completed its term, except a year later in December 2021, the Sindh government of the People’s Party in February or March 2022. However, later Election Commission of Pakistan announced to hold local elections in Sindh on July 24, 2022.
Due to unexpected rains and floods in Sindh, the municipal elections could not be held first on July 24, 2022, then on August 28, 2022, then on September 14, 2022 and again on October 18, 2022, and this was done each time at the request of the Sindh government.
On November 22, 2022, the Election Commission finally announced January 15, 2023 as the date for local body elections in Karachi and Hyderabad, and this time it stuck to it. Initially, both the MQM and the People’s Party did not want to hold the second phase of local body elections, but both had different reasons.
In the 2015 municipal elections, MQM’s mayoral candidate Waseem Akhtar won more than 64 percent of the votes, but the 2015 municipal elections were held on the basis of 1998 census constituencies.
The PPP has drawn new constituencies based on the 2017 census and the MQM believes it has gerrymandered the new constituencies.
MQM’s main objection was to the constituencies imposed by the Sindh government of the PPP and it knew that if it participated in the elections under these constituencies, it would be doomed to defeat. Other clauses were also objected to.
On the one hand, MQM went to the Supreme Court regarding this matter, on the other hand, its then rival party, PSP, staged a long dharna in Karachi on the same issue. When the matter was taken back to the Sindh Assembly and ordered to make amendments, on the other hand, in the written agreement between the Sindh government and the PSP, it was decided that amendments will be made in the Local Government Act 2013, but as of last night by Apart from one attempt to amend the Ordinance, no other serious effort seemed to be taking place.
The MQM’s boycott and objections to the Local Government Act 2013
When the MQM left the PTI government and became part of the PDM, it also made the demand for amendments in the Local Government Act 2013 a part of the written agreement, which was also signed by Shahbaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman. But till half past midnight of 13th and 14th January 2023, he did not get any substantial success.
On January 13, the PSP and Dr. Farooq Sattar’s Organizational Restoration Committee, which had split from the MQM, rejoined the MQM. He gave a message to the involved parties that if the local body elections were held on the same constituencies, he would separate from the PDM.
After a late night meeting chaired by Bilawal Bhutto at Lawal House, the Sindh government announced to withdraw the notification of local body constituencies. Elections: Won’t the upcoming municipal elections also be held on the current constituencies and the Election Commission will not only have to redo the constituencies but also re-issue the election schedule for the upcoming local elections.
One of the problems MQM had with the current municipal elections was that before the merger, the candidates of MQM, PSP and Dr. Farooq Sattar filed separate nomination papers. After the merger, MQM faced this problem. How should he explain to his voter which candidate he has to vote for?
MQM breathed a sigh of relief after the Sindh government withdrew the notification of local body constituencies, but this peace proved to be temporary. There was a shock when the Chief Election Commissioner, using the powers under Article 219 of the Constitution, once again rejected the request of the Sindh government and also refused to accept its announcement of withdrawal of notification.
The Election Commission announced that the elections will be held on January 15 as usual.
From here, MQM came to a dead end, if it participates in the elections on the current constituencies and on the current ballot paper, there was no chance of victory, however, at one point, MQM decided to participate in the elections. It should be taken, but his own statement came to him.
Two days ago, on the occasion of a joint protest outside the Election Commission, the MQM announced that it would not participate in the election based on the current constituencies. It seemed that this was the solution to their problems.
Farogh Naseem suggested that since the session of Sindh Assembly is not in progress, if the governor issues an ordinance in these circumstances, the holding of the election can be stopped, the Local Government Act 2013 should be amended through the ordinance.
A draft of this amendment was also prepared, in the draft of the Ordinance, it was stated in the proposed amendment that A and B are being added to sub-section 2 of section 34 of the Sindh Local Government Act. Under 2A, if any error is found in the formation of Union Councils, Union Committees and Wards and the Government withdraws the notification of local body constituencies under sub-section 1 of Section 10 to conduct honest and transparent elections, the whole process of election shall be immediately suspended. But it will not only stop but also end.
The Sindh government’s withdrawal of notification of local body constituencies
In the second proposed amendment to the Act i.e. 2B, it was said that in such a case, the Election Commission will issue a new election schedule with the advice of the government.
This ordinance could also have ended the problems of MQM, but good luck to some people who did not allow this ordinance to be issued.
He said that the Chief Election Commissioner is in a very aggressive mood and he wants to hold elections on January 15 in any case.
MQM had no choice but to boycott at such a time, but the trouble was that founder MQM Altaf Hussain had already announced the boycott and under these circumstances MQM Pakistan announced the boycott MQM London. It would have been taken as a continuation or endorsement of the boycott and the difficulties for the MQM could have increased, but the MQM was assured that this would not happen, all that the MQM Pakistan had to do was to continue its boycott. Do not repeat the appeal again and again and MQM did just that.
MQM wanted to come out of the federal government and PDM along with the boycott, but it was shown green gardens that MQM will also benefit from not participating in local body elections in the near future, if PT from Karachi. If he becomes the mayor of Jamaat-e-Islami, he will be a powerless mayor like Waseem Akhtar, the government of the People’s Party will not release funds to him and within 6 months the people of Karachi will realize the mistake of their election.
The uncertain future of local government elections in Karachi.
If the MQM remains a part of the federal government, as it is likely that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif may also have to take a vote of confidence in the next few days, and Imran Khan has already indicated this, then the MQM will be a part of the federal government at this time. It can get a good package for Karachi from the government, thus helping it improve its public image before going to the 2023 general elections.
The MQM and its rejoined leaders were not entirely convinced on the issue, saying that it was their mistake to boycott the local body elections in 2001, which resulted in Jamaat-e-Islami ruling the city. By focusing on some of the core problems of the city and solving them which the citizens of Karachi still remember, if the mayor-turned-boycott succeeds in delivering something to the citizens of Karachi, it will create more problems for the MQM. May be born, but MQM had no other option but boycott, so MQM boycotted. Also read click here….
