KARACHI: The Sindh government on Friday once again excused from holding local government (LG) elections on the basis of provisional census results.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja conducted a hearing regarding LG elections in Sindh, where Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister Murtaza Wahab appeared on behalf the Sindh government.
Murtaza told the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that LG elections could not be organised on the basis of provisional census results. He adopted the stance that delimitations on the basis of provincial census results will be unconstitutional.
The ECP again issued directives to notify the census carried out in 2017 before March 1. The Inter Provincial Coordination Division’s secretary will contact Prime Minister Imran Khan, the ECP spokesperson said in a statement.
The CEC announced that the ECP will conduct next hearing in the first week of March in order to discuss the matters related to LG polls.
The ruling political party in Sindh, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), had adopted the stance since September last year that it would be an unconstitutional move to initiate fresh delimitation and organise LG polls on the basis of provincial census results.
On January 29, the ECP had sought recommendations from the Sindh government regarding the date of LG elections following the orders of the Supreme Court (SC).
However, the PPP kept insisting for the issuance of final report of the census for moving ahead to organise LG polls and fresh delimitations in the province.
On the other hand, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) had agreed to organise LG polls.
In its reply to the SC on February 5, the ECP had informed that LG elections in Punjab will be held in three phases with the first phase to be held on June 20, the second on July 16 and the third on August 08.
The schedule for polls in KP will also be announced in phases. The ECP had said that the polling in KP will be held in two phases with the first phase to be held on April 08 and the second on May 29.
Moreover, the ECP had added that the Cantonment Boards’ elections will also be held on April 08 and May 29.
