Delaying LB polls: Sindh govt summons assembly session

Issue of LG elections and delimitation of the union councils is the main agenda.

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has summoned a provincial assembly session on Monday.

Sources revealed that the issue of local government election and the ongoing delimitation of the union councils is the main agenda of the session where a resolution can be passed to delay the polls scheduled for November 27.

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said the Parliament and provincial assemblies are the highest forum and their mandate should be recognised.

“Not only the Sindh government but different political parties have all expressed their concerns,” he said adding that he could confirm that a resolution will be moved for delaying the local bodies polls, and that this issue might dominate the proceedings of the assembly. “It will be a tragedy if the elections are held without paying heed to what the masses concerned have to say,” the information minister said.



Pakistan Muslim League Functional (PML-F), National Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim league- Nawaz have already denounced the elections schedule. PML-F MPA Jam Madad Ali said that the party will also approach the court to delay elections. “We will back the resolution if it is adopted in the assembly,” he said.

However, MQM leaders said that they were ready to take part even on the current election schedule. “There is no doubt that the elections are being hurried, but we will still contest,” said Khawaja Izaharul Hassan.

Meanwhile, with complaints pouring in from Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and other districts, people seemed confused on the first day of getting nomination forms. Returning officers were not appointed as yet, while forms were still unavailable at election offices. The public was then directed by government functionaries to manually download and print the forms.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2013.