Karachi LG polls could be held at any time: Saeed Ghani

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and Sindh Labour and Human Resources Minister Saeed Ghani said Sunday that Karachi local government (LG) polls could be held at any time, ARY News reported.

While addressing a rally in Lyari, Saeed Ghani said that PPP defeated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Multan and Karachi by-polls. He added that LG polls could be held in Karachi at any time.

He claimed that PPP representatives will win the LG polls across Karachi including Lyari. He alleged that the mandate of the Lyari people was stolen in the 2018 general elections.

Ghani announced that PPP will organise foundation day at Karachi’s Nishtar Park on November 30.

Earlier in the month, the Sindh cabinet had approved a proposal seeking the adjournment of local government (LG) polls in Karachi by three more months. The cabinet had approved the proposal under Sindh Local Govt. Act 2013 through a circulation summary.

The provincial government also wrote a letter to the election body for postponing the by-polls for three more months.

On November 18, the Sindh High Court (SHC) had issued a written verdict on local government (LG) polls in Karachi and Hyderabad.

A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Sindh High Court Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh heard the petitions and announced the reserved verdict against petitions filed by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) over delays in the elections in the two cities of Sindh.

In its written judgment, SHC has ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to immediately release the schedule for LG polls in Karachi and Hyderabad.