LG dept, ECP issued with notices on plea seeking polls

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notices of the local government secretary, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and others on a petition seeking LG elections in the province.

Petitioner Syed Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi said that Article 140-A of the country’s constitution provides holding of the LG polls in the provinces. He said Sindh’s local bodies have completed their four-year tenures in different cities and districts, including Karachi, but despite that the provincial government and the ECP are not taking steps for holding the elections.

He said notifications of former elected LG representatives were issued by the ECP on December 3 and December 26, 2015, and January 1, 2016, according to which all the local bodies had completed their respective tenures and were illegally holding their offices.

Naqvi said the government has been delaying the holding of LG polls to usurp the funds, as they are yet to issue a letter to the ECP for holding the elections. He asked the court to direct the LG department and the ECP to hold the polls. A division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar issued notices to the LG department, the ECP and others.