Setback for MQM-P as Sindh govt removes administrators on ECP orders

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has suffered a setback as the Sindh government has removed administrators of Hyderabad and Karachi’s East and Korangi districts on orders from Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), ARY News reported on Wednesday.

According to details, the Sindh government has removed the administrators of Hyderabad and Karachi’s East and Korangi districts recommended by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

The provincial government reverse the appointment of Muhammad Farooque, Syed Shakeel Ahmed and Muhammad Sharif as the administrators of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and district municipal corporations of Korangi and East districts, respectively.

The ECP, in a letter to local government secretary, said it had imposed a ban on transfer/posting during the conduct of local government (LG) elections.

The electoral watchdog directed the local government secretary to either withdraw the order or kept it in abeyance till the culmination of the second phase of the local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions.

Read More: ECP seeks removal of Karachi, Hyderabad’s district administrators

Earlier in December 2022, the provincial government appointed three government officers as the administrators in line with an agreement between the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and MQM-P.

Before their appointment, Farooque and Ahmed had been working as administrators of Worker Model School, SITE Hyderabad, and Korangi, respectively. Sharif had earlier been working as director-charged parking at the DMC-Central.

LG polls likely to be postponed

There are still speculations with regard to postponement of the local government polls in the metropolis for the seventh time as the Sindh government has written another letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) recently.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) had already written a letter to the ECP for amending delimitation for the LG polls.

It is pertinent to mention here that the new phase of the Sindh LG polls are scheduled on January 15 in Karachi Division after its postponement for six times.