PPP calls for postponing elections to reserved seats for 60 days

Karachi

The Pakistan People’s Party has called for postponing the forthcoming local bodies’ polls on reserved seats, set to be held on February 20, saying that it is a legal necessity to wait for 60 days prior to implementing the Sindh High Court’s decision to conduct the elections through secret balloting, so that the verdict could be challenged in the Supreme Court.

According the statement issued by the PPP Media Cell Sindh on Saturday, the party said the 60-day period was meant for collecting the proofs and evidences on the issue so that the verdict could be challenged in the Supreme Court a stay could be attained from the apex court.

The party also criticised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by stating that it was acting in haste to hold the elections on reserved seats for labourers, women, youth and minorities in order to endorse “the SHC’s judgment”, which could end up supporting  horse-trading”.

While entering the phase of elections on reserved seats, it said, the ECP would be acting in contrary to the law and the constitution and would also tantamount to promoting the menace of horse-trading under the aegis of the election commission.

It further said the political maturity of the masses had reached its peak and hence they could not be duped any more as they were fully aware of such tactics and the purpose behind this electoral exercise.

The election commission had already lost its credibility during the general elections in 2013, it said.

“The ECP should wait until the 60-day legal limit and in case no political party moves the Supreme Court against the SHC’s judgment, the election commission should commence the process for holding elections on reserved seats.”

On Thursday, the Sindh High Court (SHC) had sought comments from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and others on a plea filed by the provincial government requesting the court to suspend its order against the show of hands procedure for electing mayors and other local government office holders in the province. 

The government submitted in its plea that they wanted to move the Supreme Court against the verdict, but they required 15 days for that purpose. 

A high court bench headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi issued notices to the petitioners directing them to file their comments at the next hearing. 

A day earlier, after hearing the identical petitions of the MQM and the PML-F, the SHC had directed the ECP to conduct the elections of mayors, deputy mayors, chairmen and vice chairmen through secret balloting. 

The two opposition parties had requested the court to annul the fourth amendment to the Sindh Local Government Bill 2013, binding the members to cast their votes by showing their hands instead of secret voting.