‘Enough is enough’: SHC orders ECP to hold by-polls in Karachi and Hyderabad

KARACHI: Expressing its extreme annoyance over the prolonged delay, the Sindh High Court (SHC) Thursday ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the local body elections in Karachi and Hyderabad.

On October 19, the ECP — For the third time —  postponed the local government elections in Karachi scheduled for October 23. “The ECP had no option but to postpone the local government elections in Karachi for the time being," the commission had said.

The decision was taken by ECP after the Sindh government informed the body about the unavailability of the police force for security during polls due to floods. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and PTI, however, moved the SHC against the ECP’s decision on the local body elections in the two megacities. 

A two-judge bench of the SHC headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh heard the case.

Today’s proceedings

At the outset of today’s proceedings, Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed inquired, “Why are [ECP] postponing elections repeatedly?”

ECP’s counsel apprised the court that the electoral body had convened a meeting on November 9 to deliberate on the possibility of the by-polls in the cities but the meeting could not take place due to the public holiday.

“This is the election commission but not a school; what happened if it was a holiday? The meeting could have been held. Enough is enough! Hold elections,” remarked the SHC CJ.

Reprimanding the ECP’s counsel, the SHC CJ asked what the police were doing to the flood victims.

Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Shaikh asked the ECP’s counsel to tell him the name of any village where the police conducted an operation for the flood victims.

The chief justice directed the IG Sindh and DG Rangers to present separate reports about the total number of personnel and their place of deployment.

Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing till November 14.