PTI wants ECP to delay Karachi by-polls

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday approached the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) seeking postponement of March 16 by-polls on nine Karachi National Assembly (NA) seats, ARY News reported.

The former PTI Karachi MNAS wrote a letter to the election watchdog to postpone by-polls in nine Karachi constituencies in light of LHC verdict on PTI MNAs’ resignations.

“There is no justification to hold by-polls on NA seats following the Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict that suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order de-notifying 43 PTI MNAs,” the letter read.

The letter further said that PTI will file plea in Sindh High Court (SHC) regarding upcoming by-polls on NA seats.

Earlier, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — the two major coalition partners in the PDM-led federal government — had decided not to take part in the upcoming by-elections on the National Assembly seats of Karachi.

The decision was taken keeping in view the current economic and political situation of the country.

READ: PPP FACES PARTY PRESSURE TO CONTEST NA BY-POLLS

From the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Mustafa Kamal, Dr Farooq Sattar, Dr Sagheer Ahmed, Rauf Siddiqui and others have withdrawn their nomination papers.

The by-elections on NA seats will be held on March 16. The nine constituencies where by-polls are scheduled include: NA-241 Korangi Karachi-III; NA-242 Karachi East-I; NA-243 Karachi East-II; NA-244 Karachi East-III; NA-247 Karachi South-II; NA-250 Karachi West-III; NA-252 Karachi West-V; NA-254 Karachi Central-II; and NA-256 Karachi Central-IV.