The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected the Sindh government’s request to postpone local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad.
A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja in Islamabad made the decision. After the provincial government’s announcement, the ECP assessed.
Due to MQM-P reservations over delimitations, the Sindh PPP government postponed local body elections late at night.
Sindh delayed polls for the fourth time.
The Sindh government canceled the second round of LG elections on July 24 last year due to flooding and a lack of security and police. As a result, the August 28 and October 23 polls were also delayed.
Today, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) will stage a sit-in outside Karachi’s Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) office. JI protests have ended.
In a press conference, JI Karachi President Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman announced a 3 pm sit-in outside the Election Commission’s Sindh office.
The JI leader claimed that the PPP-led Sindh government was denying people their constitutional rights. He claimed that fear of the people’s mandate canceled the elections.
Hafiz Naeem also said the Sindh government cannot postpone elections “on a letter.” He requested a “Suo Motu” notice from CEC Sikander Sultan Raja.
Rehman asked how elections could be postponed two days before the polls. He also thought ECP shouldn’t delay polls.
The JI leader urged the Election Commission to return the letter to the Sindh government, take “Suo Motu” notice, and act against them.
