KARACHI: District Municipal Corporation (DMC) West is least in development projects’ ranking in contrast with other five DMCs in Karachi after elections of chairmen of DMCs on August 2016. The completion performance chart of DMC’s development projects have remained below 45 percent during 13 months as the Sindh government appointed an administrator to run DMC’s affairs. This depressed performance starts from first day on more than one reasons, as soon after Izhar Ahmad Khan’s win as chairman, Asif Khan, the losing candidate of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had challenged Izhar’s election before the returning officer (RO). The RO withheld the results after he found numerals and alphabets on 24 ballot papers polled in favour of Izhar. After a recount, results in favour of Izhar were nullified and Asif was declared victorious. Izhar did not accept RO’s decision, challenging it in tribunal of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He emerged victorious in the appeal as ECP restored original result and declared him as winner. However, ECP decision was challenged in Islamabad High Court (IHC) by Asif, which barred Izhar from taking oath by suspending order of his victory. The matter is still pending with IHC till date. After such a long battle, consequently the performance of DMC became poor, as an administrator with no public votes has been running the matters of the office. The matter of chairman has been in cold storage as IHC did not give any verdict following some hearings. Running DMC’s affairs by a non-elected person, the performance has been remained underdog. The district includes SITE area, Orangi Town, Baldia and Manghopir. In the findings of the recent census, its population has been listed at almost four million, making it the most populated district in Karachi. Amir Ali Shah advocate was of the opinion, “This matter does not falls in the domain of IHC as this issue is purely related to Sindh. However Sindh High Court is the valid institution where this case can be brought in” Election Tribunal is another place where this matter can be discussed and this would be not fair the winning candidate has been barred from taking oath of chairman office, he opined. Published in Daily Times, October 6th 2017.