Karachi, Hyderabad schools to remain closed tomorrow

Educational institutions across Karachi and Hyderabad have been directed to remain closed on Saturday (tomorrow) due to the preparations for the local body elections scheduled to be held on Sunday.

A notification issued by the School Education and Literacy Department said: "The public and private institutions under the Administration of School Education and Literacy Department of respective districts will remain closed on Saturday."

In a separate notification, the College Education Department also said that in view of the local government, elections phase-II in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions, "Saturday (January 14) is declared a public holiday in all the public and private educational institutions under the administrative control of the College Education Department".

After many hiccups, the local body polls will take place in the two districts as the elections were delayed four times due to various reasons, with floods being a major issue for the postponement.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Friday decided to hold local government polls in Karachi and Hyderabad as per schedule on January 15, rejecting the Sindh government's request to postpone the elections.

The second round of LG elections was scheduled to take place on July 24 last year, but the Sindh government excused itself from holding the polls over the lack of security and police presence due to the flooding. Later, the elections were also postponed on August 28, and October 23, and today, the announcement was made for January 15 — making it the fourth time that the polls have been put off.