KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement will participate in the rescheduled Azad Jammu & Kashmir elections for two Karachi constituencies, sources said on Monday.
The MQM had earlier boycotted the elections after the AJK Election Commission postponed polling in three constituencies, one in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and two in Karachi. MQM ministers in the federal and Sindh provincial cabinets had also resigned from their posts, while MPAs had applied for opposition seats in the provincial assembly.
Sources said there was no consideration for reconciliation with the government and the party was taking part in the elections as it had moved the court and it was the court that had approved the new date.
A formal announcement is expected to be made by either the Rabita Committee or party chief Altaf Hussain later today.
Earlier today, the AJK Election Commission issued the polling schedule of elections for two constituencies of Karachi while the Muzaffarabad High Court approved July 20 as the new date for polling.
The polling schedule for LA-36 valley-one and LA-30 Jammu-one was issued by the commission, where 12 candidates were contesting the election for LA-30.
The MQM had filed a petition in the Muzaffarabad High Court as well as the Sindh High Court regarding the postponement of elections in these constituencies.
The Sindh High Court disposed of the petition and ensured the MQM that the government will be responsible for security whenever the polls are held in the future.
The court also ruled that all stake-holders should be taken into confidence while postponing any elections in the future.
The AJK Election Commission had also written to the Interior Ministry to deploy police and rangers in the constituencies for polling.
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