After PML-N, PSP asks ECP to reject govt’s request to put off NA-249 by-poll

Requesting the Election Commission of Pakistan to not postpone the upcoming by-poll in Karachi’s National Assembly constituency NA-249, Pak Sarzameen Party chairman and a candidate from the constituency, Syed Mustafa Kamal said on Wednesday requests from the Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan to delay the by-election were contrary to the ground realities.

In a letter, he informed the chief election commissioner that the PPP, the ruling party in Sindh, and the MQM-P were misleading the ECP after clear signs of their defeat in the constituency. Citing the data released by the Sindh government, Kamal said the number of people infected with Covid-19 in NA-249 on April 20 was only two.

He said the ECP had already spent the hard-earned money of the taxpayers on making arrangements for the poll, and any delay in holding the by-election would be a burden on the national exchequer.

Kamal emphasised that the election should be held as per schedule, April 29, while ensuring the implementation of Covid-19 SOPs. On the other hand, the PML-N in a letter has asked the ECP to reject the government’s request, saying the PPP, being a ruling party in the province, has realised its defeat in the by-poll in the constituency and has therefore been trying to make efforts to delay the poll,” said Miftah Ismail, the PML-N’s provincial secretary-general and its candidate for the by-election.

Sindh govt’s letter

The Government of Sindh has requested the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to postpone the by-poll for the NA-249 constituency in Karachi because of the third wave of Covid-19. The services general administration & coordination department, Government of Sindh, has written to the chief election commissioner of Pakistan with the subject titled ‘Postponement of by-election in NA-249 Karachi in the wake of third wave of Covid-19’.

The letter reads: “I am directed to refer to the subject noted above and to state that the secretary health department, Government of Sindh, Karachi, vide letter dated April 16, 2021, has informed that the Election Commission of Pakistan has announced bye-election in NA-249 Karachi to be held on April 29, 2021, stating therein that Pakistan is going through a third wave of Covid-19.

“The transmission of the virus is very high with multiple genetic variants of the Covid-19 virus. Most of the major cities of the country are facing highest positivity ratio, spike in hospitalisation of critical patients and a large number of fatalities.

“The cases of Karachi and Hyderabad have started rising. The daily situation reports of last week show remarkable increase in positivity percentage rising from 3 per cent to 7.8 per cent, which is quite alarming. The number of critical patients in ICUs and HDUs has also made a remarkable increase, reaching 400 patients in HDUs and ICUs.

“The electoral campaign, gatherings, corner meetings and processions will definitely aggravate the situation. The demographic composition of the delimited area of NA-249 will invariably necessitate inter-city and inter-provincial movement of the people, which may further hazard the already precarious epidemiological situation.

“The health department will not be able to cope with the exponential increase in transmission and hospital load. There are imminent chances of loss of valuable human lives. “In order to avoid any mishap or worse situation, it is, therefore, requested that the bye-election in NA-249 Karachi to held on April 29, 2021 may kindly be postponed till the third wave of Covid-19 subsides.”