SHC issues notices to ECP, others on JI plea against delay in LG polls

The Sindh High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan, meteorological department and others on a petition filed by the Jamaat-e-Islami against another delay in holding the second phase of local government elections in Karachi.

JI Karachi secretary Monem Zafar Khan and others submitted in the petition that the ECP had once again deferred the holding of the LG elections without announcing any fresh date, which, they said, was illegal.

They submitted that the term of last local bodies expired in August 2020, but instead of holding elections, the Sindh government appointed administrators throughout the province. They further said the provincial government was reluctant to proceed for the LG elections and deliberately delayed the delimitation process by not providing suggestions, details and required maps for changing the precincts for union committees, as per the local government act and election act of 2017.

The petitioners submitted that the ECP under the constitution was bound to conduct LG polls within 120 days after the expiry of local bodies’ previous term. They stated that the prediction of meteorological department regarding heavy rainfall in Karachi between August 24 and August 26 proved incorrect and there was no rainfall in Karachi during that period; therefore, on the basis of these types of predictions the right to vote and right to elect local bodies representative of the people of Karachi had been snatched.

They submitted that the ECP decision with regard to the postponement of elections in Karachi was arbitrary and against the provision of the Constitution of Pakistan. They claimed that the provincial government seemed not interested in holding elections in Karachi Division, just to retain its control over the authorities and resources of the municipal institutions under a mala fide intention.

The court was requested to direct the ECP to conduct the LG polls in Karachi without any further delay. The petitioner further requested the court to announce the date of polling which was not announced after the postponement of the second phase of the polls due to a mala fide intention. The court, after the preliminary hearing of the petition, issued notices to the ECP, meteorological department and others and called their comments on next date of hearing.