SC rejects plea to halt Sindh LG polls

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Tuesday rejected the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) request to stop the second phase of the Sindh local government elections.

A two-member bench, headed by the Chief Justice, heard the MQM’s petition in Islamabad on Tuesday. The party’s lawyer Farogh Naseem requested for the federal government’s answer to be submitted on the matter. “If the federal government wishes, it may submit a response,” remarked the CJP.

The advocate general then requested the court to grant the Sindh government two weeks’ time to submit a written response, which was rejected by the SC. Naseem argued that the LG polls “are to be held on August 27, if two weeks are granted to the provincial government to submit its response, then the Sindh government will say the polls are too close”. Subsequently, the court ordered the provincial government to submit its response by August 4 and adjourned the hearing until then.