ECP set deadline for Sindh LG winners to choose parties

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed all independent candidates who emerged as winners in the recent local government (LG) elections in Sindh to join political party of their choice within seven days, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

In a statement, the electoral watchdog said that the independent winners must align themselves with a political party, by May 24, thereby fostering greater collaboration and strengthening the political landscape at the local government level.

According to the Sindh Local Government Act 2015, the ECP requires the winning candidates to formally inform them of their decision to join a political party.

Additionally, the leader of the party that the independent candidate chooses to join must also notify the ECP about the candidate’s affiliation. To comply with this requirement, the independent candidate needs to submit an affidavit stating their intention to join a specific party.

This letter, containing the affidavit, must reach the ECP’s office within seven days of the official announcement of the election results.

Under local government act 2013, each political party shall submit separate priority list of their candidates for each category, with the returning officer on or before May 24, 2023.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was leading with 98 Union Councils (UCs) seats after it grabbed seven seats out of 11 Union Councils in Karachi during local government (LG) by-polls.

According to the party position released by the Election Commission of Pakistan, the results of Karachi’s 240 UCs out of a total of 246 have been finalized, while the results of six UCs have been withheld by the ECP.

Pakistan People’s Party successfully became the largest party by security 98 UCs, Jamaat-e-Islami secured 87 seats, while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf remained third with 43 seats in UCs.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz grabbed 7 seats1, JUI-F won three seats in UCs, TLP and independent candidate emerged victorious in two UCs. ۔