SHC seeks ECP’s notification for holding LG polls in Karachi

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to submit its notification with regard to holding the local government elections in Karachi.

During the hearing of a petition filed by the Jamaat-e-Islami against another delay in the local government elections in Karachi, a counsel for the ECP informed the high court that the commission had fixed October 23 as the polling day for the local bodies elections in the provincial capital.

He submitted that the date for the local government elections in the Hyderabad division had not been decided yet and reports had been called from the district administration about the flood situation.

The SHC observed that the ECP shall ensure holding of the elections as per the schedule and directed it to file a statement along with the notification for holding of local bodies elections on the next hearing.

JI Karachi Secretary Monem Zafar Khan and others had submitted in the petition that the ECP had once again deferred the local government elections in Karachi without announcing any fresh date.

They submitted that the term of the last local bodies had expired in August 2020, but instead of holding the elections, the Sindh government appointed administrators throughout the province.

They submitted that the provincial government was reluctant to hold the local bodies elections and it had deliberately delayed the delimitation process by not providing suggestions, details and required maps for the delimitation of union committees as per the local government law and the 2017 election Act.

They submitted that the ECP under the constitution was bound to conduct the local government polls within 120 days after the end of the previous local bodies’ term.

The petitioners submitted that the prediction of the Pakistan Meteorological Department regarding heavy rainfall in Karachi between August 24 and August 26 was proved incorrect and there was no rain in the city during that period.

They added that on the basis of such predictions, the right of the people of Karachi to vote for and elect their local bodies representatives had been snatched.

They submitted that the ECP’s decision with regard to postponement of the polls in Karachi was arbitrary and the provincial government was not interested in holding the elections in the Karachi division in order to retain its control over the authorities and resources of its municipal institutions..

The high court was requested to direct the ECP to conduct the local bodies polls in Karachi without any further delay.