ECP to decide on govt's request for postponement of elections tomorrow
- By Zahid Mashwani -
- Oct 10, 2022
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday met with CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja in the chair to review the situation for the by-elections and LG polls after the devastating floods in the country, ARY News reported, citing well-placed sources.
The elections were scheduled to take place in NA-22 Mardan, NA-24 Charsadda, NA-31 Peshawar, NA-45 Kurram, NA-108 Faisalabad, NA-118 Nankana Sahib, NA-237 Malir and NA-239 Karachi.
The federal government requested the ECP to postpone by-polls and LG polls for ninety days.
In today’s meeting, the ECP also discussed the letter penned by the government regarding the postponement of elections for three months in the wake of floods.
The country’s supreme electoral body has summoned chief secretaries of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the IGPs. The interior secretary, defence and DG military operations have also been summoned for tomorrow’s meeting.
The ECP is likely to take ‘big decisions’ tomorrow in a meeting scheduled to take place at 2pm, the sources said.
Read more: Shortage of funds could affect election process, warns ECP
The Interior Ministry had requested the ECP on Friday to postpone by-elections for 90 days. It also cited the losses incurred and the rise in diseases following the recent catastrophic floods as the reason for the postponement of by-polls.
The letter said that most resources have been diverted toward relief and rehabilitation efforts across flood-hit areas in the country; therefore, it would put immense strain on government agencies including the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, Rangers, and other law enforcement agencies to utilize their resources and carry out extra work during election duties.