Several candidates fielded by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal-ur-Rehman (JUI-F) for National and provincial assemblies’ slots in Karachi during the February 8 elections have announced to withdrawal in favour of the candidates of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P). The announcement to this effect came in a joint press conference by MQM-P senior leader and candidate for NA-237 Rauf Siddiqi and JUI-F leader Molana Ghayas, at Karachi Press Club on Wednesday.
They told the media at KPC that the JUI-F-supported candidate from NA-237 Karachi Maulana Ehsanullah Hazarvi has withdrawn in favour of MQM-P candidate Rauf Siddiqi, JUI-F candidate for Sindh Assembly seat PS-104 Karachi, in favour of MQM-P candidate Daniyal Siddiqi and JUI-F candidate for PS-103 Jamal Khan Kakar has withdrawn in favour of MQM-P’s Faisal Rafiq.
JUI-F’s candidate for PS-102 Qari Saif-ur-Rehman has withdrawn in favour of MQM-P’s Aamir Siddiqi, JUI-F’s candidate for PS-101 Maulana Abdul Salam Soomro in favour of MQM-P’s Moeed Anwer and JUI-F’s candidate for PS-98 Molvi Abdul Aziz has withdrawn in support of MQM-P’s Arsalan Pervez, they said.
JUI-F leader Maulana Ghayas said that the decision to withdraw the party’s candidates in favour of MQM-P was taken by the central leadership of the party and we are ensuring compliance with the directives of our leadership.
He also called upon the MQM-P leaders to withdraw their party candidate Rana Shaukat in PS-99 (formerly PS-(97) in favour of JUI-F’s candidate Aslam Ghauri to which Rauf Siddiqi said that he would convey this message to the MQM Rabita Committee.
Rauf Siddiqi also expressed gratitude to JUI-F leader Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman for taking this important decision during the general elections in 2024 and said the JUI-F chief has always supported his party in all testing times.
In reply to a question, he said that Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P). has already decided to withdraw its candidate in PS-105 in favour of Grand Democratic Alliance’s (GDA) Irfanullah Marwat during the February 8 elections.
