SHC reserves verdict over delay in Hyderabad LG polls

KARACHI: The Sindh high court (SHC) on Monday reserved the verdict over delay in Hyderabad local government elections, ARY News reported.

As per details, a bench headed by Chief Justice (CJ) Sindh High Court (SHC) Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh heard the plea by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) over delay in the polls for local bodies.

The PTI counsel told the court that LG polls have been delayed for the 3rd time now on the excuse of shortage of security personnel for the election.

The Sindh government have 6000 security personnel for Islamabad’s long march but not for LG polls, the PTI counsel reasoned.

It’s the ECP’s responsibility to order the provincial government and to hold timely local government elections.

Furthermore, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) petitioner said that the supreme court earlier ordered to hold local government elections immediately.

The petition stated that the high court can be approached to hold elections but not for delaying them.

Earlier, the Sindh High Court (SHC) issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Sindh chief secretary on Jamaat-e-Islami’s request to set the date of LG elections in the province immediately.

The second phase of LG elections was scheduled to be held on August 28, but the ECP postponed it due to torrential rains and floods in the province.

The request to fix the new date of the local body elections in Sindh at the earliest has been filed by the Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Munim Zafar and Saifuddin.

The SHC has served notices to the ECP and Sindh chief secretary on the JI’s plea.