Inclement weather: PHC wants LG polls postponed in snow-bound areas

ABBOTTABAD: The Peshawar High Court, Abbottabad circuit bench, on Tuesday directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to postpone the second phase of the local government elections slated for March 27 in view of the snowfall and cold weather in the hilly areas.

The two-member bench ordered the (ECP) to issue a fresh schedule for the polls to be held after Ramazan.

The PHC Abbottabad circuit bench issued the order on identical writ petitions seeking postponement of the second phase of the local bodies’ elections in view of the possible snowfall in the mountainous areas.

The first phase of the local government elections was held in 17 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 19, 2021 and the second phase of the polls was scheduled to take place on March 27 in the remaining districts. The bench issued the order on the petitions jointly filed by Malik Aurangzeb, a resident of Kohistan, Sardar Nasir Aslam, a known lawyer from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other petitioners.

After hearing arguments from the lawyers of the petitioners, the court issued a verbal order postponing the elections scheduled for March 27.

The petitioners argued that it would be difficult to hold the polling in March in the hilly areas due to extreme cold and snowfall in these places.