Supreme Court rejects MQM plea for restraining Sindh LG Polls

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the MQM plea for restraining the second phase of the local government elections in Sindh, ARY News reported.

A two-member bench of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice also summoned the reply of the Sindh government over the matter.

Barrister Farogh Naseem, representing Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), asked the court to direct the federal government to submit its reply in the case. “The federal government, if intends, can submit its reply,” the chief justice said.

Advocate General Sindh sought two weeks to the provincial government for submitting its reply but the bench refuse to give two weeks.

“The local bodies elections are scheduled on August 27, if two weeks given to the government, it will argue that the polling is near,” Farogh Naseem said.

The court ordered the provincial government to submit its reply by August 04.

MQM-P had sought restraining order from the top court against the local government elections in Sindh and urgent hearing of the petition.

The MQM had filed petition in the Supreme Court after its plea in the Sindh High Court was rejected.

The party had sought the top court to issue a restraining order against local government elections in Sindh prior to proper legislation over the matter.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) had rejected a plea in June from major political parties including the MQM-P to defer the local government elections.

The SHC while rejecting the plea to halt elections had directed the ECP to hold the polls in the province as per the schedule.