Naeemur Rehman slams Sindh govt over postponing Karachi LG polls

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has slammed the Sindh government for postponing the Karachi local government (LG) polls multiple times and termed the move ‘enmity with the Karachiites’, ARY News reported on Friday.

While addressing a press conference today, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman criticised that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had announced to hold LG polls multiple times but the Sindh government started correspondence to postpone the elections.

He said that the ECP summoned a session of the stakeholders on November 9 but it was postponed due to a holiday. The JI Karachi chief said that his political party will attend the stakeholders’ session on November 14.

READ: SINDH EXCUSES ITSELF FROM HOLDING LG POLLS IN REPLY TO ECP

Naeemur Rehman said that the Supreme Court (SC) had issued clear directives to organise LG polls in Karachi.

The JI leader made it clear that they will not accept any further delay and condemned the ruling regime in Sindh for what he called illegal, unconstitutional, undemocratic and anti-people conduct by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

He announced that the JI would not let the PPP government in the province escape the LG polls. He added that the JI will announce its future course of action soon after consultation against unconstitutional steps taken by the PPP.

Earlier in the day, the Sindh government made a new move to postpone local government (LG) polls for an indefinite period to end the obligation of holding elections within 120 days.

READ: SINDH GOVT SEEKS DELAY IN KARACHI LG POLLS FOR FOURTH TIME

The Sindh government exercised its powers to postpone the LG polls for an indefinite period by amending the LG Act’s Clause 34 which obligates the authorities to hold the elections within 120 days.

After the amendments in Clause 34 of the Sindh LG Act, elections could not be held in the timeframe of 90 days or for an indefinite period.

The Sindh Local Government Department sent another letter to the provincial election commission regarding the amendment to the relevant law. Prior to the move, the Sindh cabinet approved the summary to postpone the LG polls for 90 days.