ECP postpones local polls in eight Sindh districts

Supreme Court of Pakistan had asked the election commission to take its own decision about postponement of the local bodies elections in eight districts of Sindh.

The commission held a meeting to consider over the decision of the apex court. The meeting decided to put off elections in several union councils and wards of the eight districts of Sindh.

Holding a presser in Islamabad, Secretary ECP Babar Yaqoob detailed the union councils, wards and municipal committees of eight districts in Sindh, wherein the polls have been postponed.

The ECP postponed polls for 81 union councils (UCs), 15 town committees and four municipal committees in districts Hyderabad, Badin, Tharparker, Tando Allahyar, Mirpur Khas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Naushero Feroze and Jamshoro.

A bench of Sindh High Court in its decision over petitions against delimitation of constituencies for local bodies elections had earlier ordered the election commission to review the delimitation of constituencies.

Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to revise the delimitations of the constituencies for the local government elections according to its September 18th decision.

The SHC bench headed by Justice Irfan Saadat gave its verdict on several petitions filed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and others challenging new delimitation in the province carried out by the provincial government.

The court in a verdict on September 18th had annulled delimitations made by the provincial government and reversed urban and rural areas to their earlier positions and had directed the ECP to revise the constituencies.

The government challenged the high court order in Supreme Court and government lawyer Munir Paracha argued that the SHC has cancelled delimitations in eight districts of the province a day ahead of the polling in these districts.

The counsel further argued that the constituencies could not be revised in such a short span of time. He further argued that revision of delimitation would also required new nomination process and re-printing of the ballot papers.

The apex court in its order said the election commission should decide on its own about postponement of the local bodies elections while implementing the court orders.