With city’s mayor-elect jailed, Aug 24 set for mayors, chairpersons polls

Karachi 

With the city’s mayor-elect behind bars, the Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday once again issued a schedule for polling for the seats of mayor and deputy mayor, chairmen and vice chairmen in Sindh, setting August 24 as the date for final polling.

The aspiring candidates, as per a notification issued by the ECP, will be able to file nomination papers on August 5 and August 6, while scrutiny will be performed on August 9 and August 10.

The last date for filing appeals against decisions of nomination papers is August 12. The appellate authorities will decide appeals by August 13 and the withdrawal of nomination papers will be allowed till August 15.

The revised list of candidates along with election symbols will be issued by August 16.

It was said that, after the polling on August 24, the returning officer will consolidate and declare the results by August 29. As per the notification, the elected mayors, deputy mayors and chairman and vice chairman will then take oath on August 30.

The elections for mayors and chairmen have been subjected to extensive delays owing to what observers say has been internal politicking. On May 18, the ECP had announced that elections for the position of Karachi’s mayor, deputy mayor, and chairperson and vice-chairperson of 448 local committee seats would be held on June 8. 

However, a day later on June 9, the ECP announced that polling for the seats of mayor and deputy mayor, chairmen and vice chairmen of district councils and town committees would be held on June 29.

As per that particular schedule, the results of the elections were to be declared by June 30 and the elected representatives were to take oath of office on July 4.

Local government polls were held in Karachi’s 209 union committees (UCs) on December 5 last year and were contested by all major parties — the MQM, PTI, JI, PPP and PML-N.

There are 51 UCs in Karachi’s Central district; 46 in West; 37 in Korangi; 31 each in East and South and 13 in Malir district.