Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) today (Friday) rejected Sindh government’s notification to postpone the second phase of LG polls in Sindh.
The ECP ruled that the local bodies elections in Karachi and Hyderabad will be held as per schedule on January 15.
The decision to hold LG polls per schedule was taken in an important ECP meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja here.
Rejecting Sindh government notification and request, the ECP has directed Interior Ministry to ensure the deployment of Rangers and Army on highly sensitive polling stations in Karachi and Hyderabad.
Following the ECP decision, the Sindh government has summoned an urgent meeting of its legal team to mull over options regarding the ECP order.
On Thursday late night, Sindh government taking notice of serious demand of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Delimitations in Karachi, had withdrawn notification of Delimitations in the city under which the LG polls will be postponed in Karachi, Hyderabad and Dadu and will not be held on January 15
Talking to media at mid night after a meeting in chair of PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that Sindh government has decided that it will amend local body ordinance for the Delimitations.
The Minister further apprised that the provincial government will write a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in which it will apprise that the LG polls can not be held in Karachi, Hyderabad and in tehsil of Dadu on January 15 owing to Delimitations on which the MQM P has a reservations and in Dadu as the flood water still inundated.
Except these areas, the LG polls will be held as per schedule on January 15, Sharjeel Memon added.
Yesterday, at the occasion of merger of two factions of MQM, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) led by Syed Mustafa Kamal, MQM Tanzeem Bahali Committee (TBC) headed by Farooq Sattar into it, had demanded the Sindh government and federal government to hold local bodies elections in Karachi and Hyderabad after correcting the Delimitation.
MQM head Khalid Maqbool Siddique and Farooq Sattar had warned that they will not allow holding of LG polls in Karachi and Hyderabad and warned of massive protest sit-in at Shahrah-e- Faisal.
Talking to a private news channel the MQM leader Waseem Akhtar had said that “we are waiting of Pakistan People`s Party (PPP) co chairman Asif Zardari reply who had promised us to take action against unjust Delimitations in a meeting which were held few days ago.”
