KARACHI -UNS: Charged workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Jamaat-e-Islami clashed outside the arts council minutes after PPP’s Murtaza Wahab was elected mayor following an intense competition on Thursday.
The workers, armed with clubs and sticks, pelted each other with stones and created chaos. Police and Rangers sprang into action and dispersed the mob by mounting baton-charge. Police also arrested some of the troublemakers.
Earlier, PPP’s Murtaza Wahab was elected Karachi mayor by defeating Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Hafiz Naeemur Rehman. PPP’s Salman Abdullah was elected deputy mayor, defeating the JI candidate.
Murtaza Wahab bagged 173 votes while Naeemur Rehman could secure 161 votes, according to unofficial results. The election was held through a show of hands. The voting started at 11am at the arts council’s auditorium.
Out of 366 members, 333 members were present at the polling venue while 33 members could not reach the polling venue to cast their vote. As the voting started, the doors of the auditorium were closed.
