ISLAMABAD – Rejecting the Sindh government’s request to postpone the local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Friday decided to hold the polls as per schedule on January 15.
The decision was taken in a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja in Islamabad. The ECP took stock of the situation after the provincial government’s announcement.
The PPP-led government in Sindh, in a surprise late-night move, had postponed the local government elections due to reservations of its coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) over the delimitations issue.
It was the fourth time that the polls were delayed by the Sindh government.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leaders on Friday termed the Sindh government’s decision to delay the local body polls in Karachi and Hyderabad “unacceptable”.
Following the announcement of Sindh government, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) had announced that the party will hold a sit-in outside the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) office in Karachi today. However, the JI has now called off its protest.
The JI leader had alleged that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led Sindh government was depriving the people of their constitutional right. The elections have been called off in fear of the people’s mandate, he claimed.
After JI’s press conference, PTI leader Ali Zaidi, in a separate media talk, had also announced that the party will be holding a protest rally outside the Sindh Assembly at 4pm today.
“Citizens of Karachi should reach there and record their protests,” urged Zaidi in a hurriedly called press conference, he held alongside former governor Imran Ismail.
Sindh delays local body elections in Karachi, Hyderabad yet again
