KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has filed a petition before the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decision to postpone the second phase of local government (LG) elections in the Sindh province.
The petition filed by PTI Sindh executive committee member Ashraf Qureshi stated that the ECP has previously informed the court that it could not delay the LG elections owing to massive expenditure already being incurred on arrangements.
“The ECP told that ballot papers have been printed and billions spent on arrangements,” he said.
He asked the court to immediately suspend the apex court’s order and hold the polls in a week. “They have already made changes to electoral rolls and the delay was made to avert the defeat of the PPP in the elections that is now written on the wall,” the PTI leader said.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has rescheduled the second phase of the Sindh local government (LG) elections citing “possible rains and bad weather” in the province.
According to a statement issued by the electoral watchdog, the second phase of the LG elections in 16 districts of Karachi and Hyderabad will now take place on August 28.
A meeting chaired by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) reviewed the different applications they had received for the postponement of the second phase of the local body elections and NA-245 by-polls.
The applications had requested that the polls be held after Muharram. The meeting had also reviewed the reports submitted by the Met Office, Sindh’s chief secretary and provincial election commissioner.
The second phase of the local body elections was originally going to be held on July 24 in 16 districts of Karachi and Hyderabad division.
