Sindh cabinet approves proposal to defer Karachi LG polls for fourth time

KARACHI: In a major development, the Sindh cabinet on Friday approved a proposal seeking another postponement of the much-delayed local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad.

The development came a day after the Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the local body elections in Karachi and Hyderabad without any further delay.

The proposal for delaying the elections was given go-ahead through a circulation summary.

Sindh cabinet took this action by invoking the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013.

SHC on Thursday voiced displeasure over the local government election holdup during the hearing of the petitions submitted by PTI and JI.

A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Sindh High Court Justice Ahmed Ali M Shaikh, took up the case.

During the hearing, Justice Yousaf Ali, questioned the ECP counsel why local government elections were being delayed repeatedly. CJ Shaikh remarked that it was ECP’s responsibility to hold local government elections.

SHC CJ said the court would not grant the government a lot of time and it would need a report as soon as possible. The court also directed the DG Rangers and IGP Sindh to furnish the court with all the details of their strength or appoint an officer for that.

The PTI and JI had moved the SHC in August soon after the ECP, for a second time, shelved the LG polls scheduled to be held in Karachi and Hyderabad Divisions on August 28.

The ECP has deferred the local government elections, scheduled for October 23, in Karachi for the third time.