ECP turns down K-P govt's plea to postpone second phase of LG polls

The electoral body confirms March 27 as the date for second phase of the local bodies election across the province

PESHAWAR:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday rejected a plea made by the PTI-led Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government to postpone the local bodies election – scheduled for March 27 – in the province till May.

The second phase of the election in K-P was earlier scheduled to take place on January 19. In second phase of the local government elections, polling will be held in 18 districts of the province.

The provincial government as well as political parties had requested to reschedule the election, citing the prevailing weather conditions.

Also read: K-P govt, ECP agree to hold 2nd phase of LG polls in March

It was reported last week that K-P government and ECP had agreed to hold the second phase of the local body elections in the province in March.

The decision was made during the hearing of a petition filed by MNA Murtaza Javed Abbasi. During the hearing, the chief secretary remarked that the K-P government had requested to hold the first phase of LG elections in December 2021 and the second phase in May 2022.

The commissioner had maintained that the provincial government had agreed that the second phase of the LG polls would be held before Ramazan.

“Since Ramazan would begin from April 3 or 4, it will be too late if elections are held in May,” Raja said.

Also read: PM says K-P LG elections testimony to 'successful democracies'

To this, the secretary had requested the commission to hold the elections by the end of March 2022.

On December 19, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) emerged victorious in the local government elections held in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

As per the results, JUI-F managed to secure seven tehsil chairman slots while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) managed to secure six.

Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) both managed to secure two slots, while two independent candidates also secured two slots. Among JUI-F’s seven tehsils, two were from Peshawar.