The race for Karachi’s mayor office took an interesting turn on Saturday as the PTI threw its weight behind JI’s Hafiz Naeemur Rehman for the coveted post.

A PTI spokesperson confirmed the development and alleged that the ruling PPP was involved in pre-poll rigging.

He alleged that the PPP, through the Sindh Police, was ‘abducting’ elected representatives of the party before they can be sworn in.

The Imran Khan-led party contended that the PPP after running away from the municipal elections four times wants to elect the mayor in a hurry.

“PTI has also approached the court on this matter. The mayor should be elected through a transparent process,” said the spokesperson, alleging that the PPP and MQM do not want the public mandate to be accepted.

After the latest development, JI’s Hafiz Naeem is in a strong position to be elected as mayor. However, there is many a slip between cup and lip.

In the recently concluded Karachi local bodies polls, PPP emerged as the largest party but it failed to secure a simple majority of 179 votes needed for the seat of Karachi mayor.

PPP will need at least 22 seats even after an alliance with JUI and PML-N.

In terms of the number of seats, PPP is the largest party in Karachi with 98 seats so far, followed by JI with 89 seats and PTI with 42 seats; however, no party has a simple majority.

According to political experts, prospects of putting forward the next mayor of Karachi are bright; however, given that a party needs at least 124 seats (reserved seats not included) in the city council to secure the desired majority for winning the mayoral poll, the party will have to form alliances.