Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, a Pakistani politician who emerged victorious in the PS-129 provincial election in Karachi, has voluntarily relinquished his seat, citing concerns over what he termed an “illegitimate win.”
The national and provincial elections in Pakistan were held on February 8, with Rehman contesting under the banner of the Jamaat-e-Islami party. However, he expressed reservations about the electoral process, alleging that the election was rigged in his favor against independent candidate Saif Bari, who is backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Despite being declared the winner of PS-129 with over 26,000 votes, Rehman raised alarm over discrepancies in the vote count. He revealed that upon scrutinizing the records of votes polled at individual polling stations, he discovered a significant reduction in Bari’s votes from 31,000 to 11,000.
In a statement on Monday, February 19, Rehman declared his refusal to accept what he deemed an illegitimate victory, prompting his decision to step down from the seat.
“If anyone wants to make us win in an illegitimate manner, we will not be accepting that,” Rehman asserted, emphasizing the importance of respecting public opinion and maintaining the integrity of the electoral process. “Let the winner win; let the loser lose; no one should get anything extra.”
The electoral process in Pakistan has been marred by allegations of interference and widespread fraud. However, Pakistani electoral authorities have refuted these claims.
As Rehman vacates his PS-129 seat, the question remains unanswered as to who will succeed him in representing the constituency.
