ECP postpones 2nd phase of Sindh LG polls

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday postponed second phase of Sindh Local Government (LG) elections and by-election in NA-245.

According to a press release issued by the ECP, a meeting was held with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja in the chair and it was decided to postpone second phase of Sindh Local Government elections on the request of Sindh Chief Secretary.

The meeting said that the ECP postponed the elections citing expected spell of downpours in Sindh. The second phase of Sindh LG elections will now be held at the end of August.

“Elections were to be held in 16 districts of Karachi and Hyderabad divisions in the second phase,” sources said and added the summary of postponing LG elections in Sindh was sent by Sindh Chief Secretary to the ECP.

The chief secretary said, in the message, that there is a possibility of heavy rains in Sindh from July 22 and the second phase of LG elections scheduled for July 24.

On the other hand, the commission also postponed the NA-245 by-election. The seat fell vacant after the death of famous televangelist and PTI leader Dr Amir Liaquat Hussain. Later, a press release issued by the ECP confirmed that CEC Raja had chaired a meeting where the body reviewed different applications it had received for the postponement of the second phase of the local body elections and NA-245 by-polls.

The applications had requested that the polls be held after Muharram. The meeting also reviewed the reports submitted by the Met Office and provincial election commissioner. The Met Office had informed the ECP of its rain forecast in its report.

Meanwhile, following the postponement of Sindh Local Government elections, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced to stage a protest outside the office of provincial Election Commission on July 22. Addressing a press conference, JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman strongly condemned the postponement of Local Government elections in Sindh, terming it a conspiracy against democracy.

The JI Karachi chief alleged that the provincial election commission was an extension of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), demanding that the LG polls should be held on the scheduled date.

He claimed that all parties are working together to deprive Karachi of a mayor. Meanwhile, PTI leader Ali Haider Zaidi said that they had postponed the Sindh LG polls fearing defeat from the PTI. He said the PTI has fielded 241 candidates in the 246 LG constituencies of Karachi union councils. In Hyderabad, the PPP fielded 89 candidates in 160 UCs , MQM 88 while PTI had fielded candidates in 114 UCs.