SHC hears MQM plea challenging LG Polls schedule

KARACHI: A two-member bench of the Sindh High Court on Monday sent a petition of the MQM-P seeking larger bench to the Chief Justice, ARY News reported.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan had sought the court’s order over legality of the steps of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The bench issued notices to parties for January 09, over a petition for immediate hearing of the case.

MQM counsel has said that the party has challenged the election rules and the notification. Seeking immediate hearing of the petition, the lawyer pleaded that “Local Govt elections are scheduled on January 15″. The local government polls will not be legal under the existing rules,” he further argued.

The government’s lawyer said that the petitioner has challenged the ECP notification of the election schedule.

It is to be mentioned here that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) have reservations over delimitation for local government elections, which are scheduled on January 15 in Karachi.

A meeting between a delegation of the federal government, MQM-P and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will be held today to resolve the matter.

MQM-P has demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to complete new delimitation before the local government polls in Karachi and Hyderabad scheduled on January 15.