JI’s Hafiz Naeem gives up Sindh Assembly seat in protest

In a surprising move, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi President Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Monday relinquished his Sindh Assembly seat, PS-129, saying he did not want somebody’s charity, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, he disclosed that an independent candidate from his constituency, Saif Bari, who had got more votes than him, was deprived of a win by reducing his votes from 31, 000 to 11, 000. “And all this was done to declare me a winner from there,” he said, and added, “However, I am not interested in getting somebody other’s seat. The JI wants only those seats which the party’s candidates have won.”    

He further said that those who had not received people’s mandate and had won the elections through rigging should feel ashamed.

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“We don’t want a seat in charity. We want our right,” said Jamaat-i-Islami Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said.

The JI leader said he knew that the heart of Karachi “beat with the JI”. Acknowledging that some may not consider his decision to be the right one, he said, “Even if they have erased us, they can’t erase us from people’s hearts. We will fight for the people, democratically, hold peaceful demonstrations.”

He further said that the nation “knew everything” due to social media and a “fake mandate” could not be imposed on the people.

He called for making the election results in Karachi null and void and for holding the exercise afresh. Calling on the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice, he asked, “Chief justice sahib, where do the people go?”