Daily Times

KARACHI – As voters in Sindh capital are ready to vote for the next mayor on December 5, a poster by the Jamaat-e-Islami candidates for UC-34 of Baldia in District West has kicked off a storm among political circles.

On the top right corner, the controversial poster has four pictures, including Mumtaz Qadri, Ghazi Ilm Din and Umar Cheema. The man in the fourth picture could not be identified, even by leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami.

The poster, bearing slogan of ‘Aao Badlen Karachi’ (lets change Karachi), has names and pictures of the Jamaat and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates contesting in UC-34 of Turk Colony. “All these people are conquerors (Ghazi) of good over bad and have given their lives for the love of religion,” a Jamaat spokesperson stated.

He said that there was nothing wrong with these pictures and they have only been printed to motivate voters. Jamaat’s Information Secretary Zahid Askari said that the poster has been printed by local candidates of the UC-34. He also said that the poster has nothing to do with the ideology of his party.

Askari said that the poster in question has been published by the candidates of the area, who in turn have complete authority to print such material for their campaigns. “The pictures are of people who have given their lives for the Islamic ideology, not of the Taliban,” he said.

PTI’s city leader Ali Zaidi said that there was no alliance of the Jamaat and PTI on UC-34. “We are not in alliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami on this particular UC,” he said.