Sindh LG polls not to be delayed: CEC

ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja on Friday said in categorical terms that the upcoming second phase of local government elections in Sindh would not be delayed again.

After multiple delays already, on November 22, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had announced to hold the LG elections in Karachi and Hyderabad Divisions on January 15.

The categorical statement from Raja came as a three-member bench he headed heard a petition filed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQMP), challenging the ECP decision for possible simultaneous use of two electoral rolls in the polls.

During the hearing, Raja pointed out to the lawyer representing the MQMP that he had gone to various forums, however, this issue was never raised before and asked him to raise any other issue so that they could be clubbed. He rejected the lawyer’s statement on dual electoral rolls and said he was trying to give a wrong impression about the electoral rolls. “You think you can get the elections delayed while your arguments are irrelevant so far.”

The bench reserved its judgment on the petition while Raja emphasized that LG elections in Karachi would not be delayed, as it was the ECP’s job to conduct the polls.

The LG polls in Karachi and Hyderabad have witnessed several delays for one reason or the other. Announcing its verdict which the commission had reserved on November 15, the commission had asked the Sindh government, chief secretary and provincial police chief to provide a “sufficient number of security personnel for election duty at polling stations, offices of district returning officers, returning officers, polling staff and transportation of polling material from and to the offices of the ROs.”

The commission had also said that for its part, the government of Sindh was directed to ensure that requisite assistance, whether by way of adequate security or otherwise, was rendered to the ECP in the matter, as per Article 220 of the Constitution, and the chief secretary of Sindh and inspector general of police were to ensure preparatory or organisational steps.