• A counsel for the ECP informed the high court that the commission had fixed October 23 as the polling day for the local bodies’ elections in the provincial capital.
• He submitted that the date for the local government elections in the Hyderabad division had not been decided yet
• The SHC observed that the ECP shall ensure the holding of the elections as per the schedule

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to submit its notification about holding the local government elections in Karachi.

During the hearing, a counsel for the ECP informed the high court that the commission had fixed October 23 as the polling day for the local bodies’ elections in the provincial capital.

He submitted that the date for the local government elections in the Hyderabad division had not been decided yet and reports had been called from the district administration about the flood situation.

The SHC observed that the ECP shall ensure the holding of the elections as per the schedule and directed it to file a statement along with the notification for holding of local bodies elections on the next hearing.

JI Karachi Secretary Monem Zafar Khan and others had submitted in the petition that the ECP had once again deferred the local government elections in Karachi without announcing any fresh date.

They submitted that the term of the last local bodies had expired in August 2020, but instead of holding the elections, the Sindh government appointed administrators throughout the province.

They submitted that the provincial government was reluctant to hold the local bodies elections and it had deliberately delayed the delimitation process.

They submitted that the ECP under the constitution was bound to conduct the local government polls within 120 days after the end of the previous local bodies’ term.

[embedpost slug=”shc-issues-notice-to-ecp-over-postponement-of-sindh-lg-election”]

The petitioners submitted that the prediction of the Pakistan Meteorological Department regarding heavy rainfall in Karachi between August 24 and August 26 was proved incorrect and there was no rain in the city during that period.

The high court was requested to direct the ECP to conduct the local body polls in Karachi without any further delay.