PTI, JI ask ECP not to delay local govt elections

The Sindh government of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has led the province to the verge of disaster, Khurram Sher Zaman, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) parliamentary party leader in the provincial assembly, claimed on Monday.

Zaman said that a while ago there was a market at the Sindh House where people would buy the conscience of politicians in billions of rupees to bring down PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s government.

He said there is no place in the province that is not submerged. He accused the chief minister of telling lies, and claimed that he would not tell the truth about how many tents and relief facilities have been provided to the people.

A statement quoted Zaman as demanding that the provincial government tell the public where billions of rupees of public money and taxes is being spent. He claimed that during the Covid-19 pandemic Khan helped the people of the province but PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his father were absent.

Separately, PTI leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi claimed that the PPP is not providing any relief to the people affected by the recent spells of monsoon showers. He said the PPP has been ruling in Sindh for the past 14 years but the party is yet to take steps for the well-being of the public.

Naqvi demanded that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) not postpone the local government polls, and claimed that it is what the provincial government wants. He said that it is wrong to spend thrice for one election, adding that ECP officials should act responsibly.

JI warns against delay

The Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi has warned the authorities against attempts to further delay the local government elections in the Karachi and Hyderabad divisions. 

In a statement issued on Monday, the party condemned the Sindh government for trying to have the polls scheduled for August 28 further postponed.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has already delayed the local government elections in the Karachi and Hyderabad divisions from July 24 to August 28 on the pretext of rains. Recently, the Sindh election commissioner hinted at further delay in the polls. A meeting of the commission has also been scheduled to deliberate over the issue.

However, the JI has stated that it would not tolerate any such move. Meanwhile, JI leader and head of the party's election cell Raja Arif Sultan wrote a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan, highlighting that the local government elections in 2001-2002 were held on time in Karachi despite the fact that they were delayed for a weak in Thatta.

Similarly in the recent past, local bodies polls were delayed in some districts of Balochistan and held in the rest of the province. The letter mentioned that some political parties were afraid of the local government elections in Sindh and despite having failed to get an order in their favour from the ECP, Sindh High Court and Supreme Court, they were trying to get the elections deferred again on the pretext of weather.

The JI leader mentioned that there was no logic of delaying the local government elections in Karachi if rainwater was stagnant in some areas in Thatta. The ECP also recently held a by-election in Karachi, the letter mentioned.

The JI leader in the letter also raised the party’s concerns for crystal clear and impartial polling on August 28. It read that the security of ballot papers had already been compromised and the only way forward was timely distribution of the Form 12 among the polling agents.