JI all set to stage sit-in outside CM House today

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Ameer, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rahman Thursday announced that his party would hold a sit-in outside Chief Minister (CM) House today at 4pm against delay in LG polls, ARY News reported.

The JI chief had given an ultimatum of 24 hours to the Sindh government to clarify its position regarding the local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad. The deadline has expired today.

Addressing a press conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq, Hafiz Naeem-ur Rehman accused the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of running away from Local Govt (LG) elections in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions.

“No excuse has left for PPP to further delay LG polls in Karachi and Hyderabad,” he said, adding that LG polls must be held at any cost on January 15 as announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

He went on to say that JI was running a powerful election campaign in Karachi constituencies but other parties – PPP and MQM-Pakistan – looking for more excuses to further delay elections.

“If PPP’s intention is good regarding LG polls then why they have written a letter to ECP to postpone local govt polls”? he asked.

He claimed that the new Karachi mayor will be from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and vowed to resolve the issues of Karachiites.

Sindh ready to hold LG polls

The Sindh government on Thursday showed consent to hold Local Government (LG) polls in 16 districts of the province except for two tehsils of Dadu district.

The Sindh government has informed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) through a letter penned by the Hyderabad commissioner.

The letter states that due to floodwater in Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mehar, LG polls cannot be held in these two tehsils of Dadu district. The Sindh government has requested the ECP to suspend the election schedule in the area.