JI moves SHC for LG polls soon after Ashura

The Jamaat-e-Islami on Friday filed a petition in the Sindh High Court, seeking a direction for the Election Commission of Pakistan to announce an early date for the local bodies elections in Karachi and print fresh ballot papers to avoid rigging and malpractice.

JI Karachi emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman submitted that the ECP had postponed the second phase of the elections from July 24 to August 28 on grounds of heavy monsoon rains and commencement of Muharram and failed to announce an earlier date soon after the Ashura.

He submitted that Karachi municipal and district corporations and the police were all under the instruction of the chief secretary at the disposal of the ruling political party candidates who were carrying out development work and normal municipal services by hoisting party flags.

He said the ECP also issued a notification for holding a by-election in National Assembly constituency NA-245 on August 21, which was disturbing the campaign of candidates of the local bodies polls, as a parallel campaign was causing confusion in the minds of general voters.

He submitted that the postponement of the elections by the ECP for August 28 was mala fide action. He requested the court to direct the ECP to immediately announce a nearby date for holding the local bodies polls.

He also requested the court to direct the ECP to print fresh ballot papers with different colours to avoid malpractice and rigging as apprehended by the petitioner. The JI leader requested the court to direct the Sindh government to amend the local bodies law as per a direction of the Supreme Court within the stipulated time prior to holding of the local bodies polls.

He asked the court to direct the Sindh government to not use government machinery or staff for the election campaign of the ruling party candidates in violation of the code of conduct of the election commission.

He also sought a direction for holding fair and free elections and to remove the “political administrator of the KMC Murtaza Wahab” and to appoint some impartial government official as KMC administrator.