Sindh govt again wants LG polls postponed

In a letter to ECP, provincial government cites inadequate security as the reason

ISLAMABAD:

The government of Sindh has once again requested the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to postpone the local body elections in Karachi.

In a letter written to the election supervisor, the provincial government has sought the postponement of the polls for three months. However, it suggested that if they could not be postponed, the elections should be held in phases instead.

It recommended conducting the municipal elections in three districts in the first phase and four districts in the second phase, saying in the current situation security personnel were not available in the required numbers.

Security personnel are busy in relief operations in flood-affected areas, it added.

“This will help the Sindh government to concentrate on the available resources in two phases in order to ensure peaceful and transparent conduct of local government elections in Karachi,” the letter mentioned.

The provincial government said that transparent and peaceful elections were not be possible if the required number of security personnel are not available.

“The inability to provide required security for the local government election was also reiterated by the chief secretary, Sindh and inspector general of police of the province in a meeting with the election commission on October 11, 2022,” the letter read.

“However, it has been learnt through media that ECP has decided to proceed with the local government elections in Karachi Division on October 23,” it continued.

“It is once again requested that local government election in Karachi Division may be postponed for three months so that adequate number of police and other auxiliary forces can be mobilised for holding the polls in a free and fair manner.”

This request follows the election supervisor’s decision to proceed with by-elections across the country as well as Sindh local body polls on their scheduled time as it rejected requests of federal and provincial governments to postpone the October 16 by-polls.

Representatives of security agencies were also present in the meeting where the decision was taken.

Last week, the commission had turned down Sindh government’s request for postponing the local bodies’ elections, saying polls in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions would be held on the scheduled time.

The provincial government had written a letter to the body to delay the local government elections due to "logistics and security reasons".

A day before the letter was dispatched, the Sindh police had refused to provide personnel for the security of the polling process.

The second phase of LG polls in Sindh was originally scheduled to be held on July 24. Just days before the scheduled date, the polls were postponed for a month due to incessant monsoon rains across the province.

For the third time, following the request of the provincial government, the election commission again pushed the election from August 28 to October 23.

With input from News Desk