The Jamaat-e-Islami has announced its decision to stage countrywide protests against the apparent delay in the results of local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions.

“Nationwide protest against changing the results of local government elections in Karachi. JI Amir Sirajul Haq appeals to the people and workers of the party to organise protests and rallies in their respective cities,” the party said in a tweet on Monday.

The JI has been wary of the “ill intentions” of the Sindh ruling PPP, saying that the party might apparently try to tamper with the election results.

The religious party has so far grabbed 86 seats out of the total 235 in Karachi, the results showed. It is trailing behind the PPP, which is leading with 93 seats.

Supporters of JI are asked to gather at the D-Chowk in Islamabad at 2:30pm. They will march towards the ECP office. When the ECP announced its decision to conduct elections on January 15 after MQM and PPP’s clamour for delay, the religious party demanded that the army should be deployed for ensuring security.

But, it had alleged that the PPP would still do “political engineering” to turn the results in their favour.

JI Amir Siraj in a Twitter thread on Monday demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan ensure the timely release of the election results. “Unlike, 2018, no one will be allowed to deprive the citizen of their right,” he said while alleging that the results of the last general elections were not fair.

“The Sindh government should openly accept the election results and respect the people’s mandate. the people’s decision will be the final decision,” Siraj said.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, who has been elected as chairman from UC 8 of North Nazimabad, has claimed that the election results were changed in favour of the PPP.

“Jamaat-e-Islami has won maximum number of seats in Karachi, 8 of our won seats have been given to PP, we have 11 signed forms of these USC results, so our total seats won so far is 94, while 10 There are seats for which we have appealed for recounting,” he said in a tweet.

PPP leads in Hyderabad divisions

The PPP was also leading in the 116 union committees (UCs) of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC), which consists of 160 UCs, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

The PPP’s candidates have emerged victorious from 58 UCs, including 15 uncontested victories. The PPP is followed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in second place.

As many as 10 UCs have elected independent candidates to represent them as chairmen and vice chairmen in the HMC. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s candidates have won from UCs 9 and 40 and Jamaat-e-Islami’s from UC 124.

The HMC consists of 9 Town Municipal Corporations (TMCs) which include Nerunkot, Mian Sarfaraz, Preetabad, Tando Jam, Tando Fazal, Sachal Sarmast, Shah Latifabad, Hussainabad and Qasimabad.

The PPP according to the results announced so far has secured the highest number of seats from TMCs Sachal Sarmast, Tando Fazal and Nerunkot while the TMCs Shah Latifabad and Preetabad have given the largest number of seats to the PTI.