Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on Sunday said that the low turnout proved that the people of Karachi and Hyderabad rejected local government (LG) elections.
“Several parties believed that there will be a very high turnout of voters in the urban areas of Sindh despite MQM-P’s boycott, however, our people proved that they still stand beside our narrative,” Siddiqui said while addressing a press conference in Karachi alongside Rabita Committee members.
The press conference took place while the second round of the LG elections in Sindh was being counted. According to sources, the voting participation rate stayed between 20 and 25 percent.
Siddiqui stated during the press conference today that the MQM-P’s call for a boycott of the LG elections is a glaring indication that we are not interested in gaining power.
“Our stance is on principle, which is why the people of Karachi and Hyderabad understand it. This is why they did not come out to vote for any other party,” he said.
He said MQM-P will organize a “Clean Karachi Week” and make the country clean again without being in the power corridors.
Speaking at the occasion, senior MQM-P leader, Farooq Sattar, who recently returned to the party fold, said wherever the voters’ turnout is high, it was because of the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) rigging.
“Several videos floating on social media showed how PPP Jiyala’s stamped ballot papers in the polling stations in the presence of police officials.”
