Election Commission of Pakistan. PHOTO ECP.GOV.PK
The second phase of the LG elections are scheduled to be held in 15 districts of lower Sindh on November 19 but there are chances of unrest in Badin, Sanghar, Umerkot, and Tharparkar districts. Saturday's meeting, which will be chaired by chief election commissioner Justice Sardar Mohammad Raza and will be attended by the Sindh chief secretary, Sindh IG, the home secretary and the district returning officers of these districts, will determine whether or not the polls need to be delayed.
The volatile situation in Badin and Sanghar districts, where there is tension between the Pakistan Peoples Party candidates and their rivals belonging to Zulfiqar Mirza and Pir Pagara groups, is the main reason behind these uncertainties, an official privy to the developments told The Express Tribune.
"A decision has yet to be taken on whether or not the polls in these districts need to be postponed," said a senior official in the provincial election commission, adding that intelligence agencies have warned them of likely clashes between these groups. They have asked the provincial government to take extraordinary measures to avert any untoward incident and termed both districts as 'highly sensitive', he added.
On the other hand, the Sindh IG has written a letter to Mirza, a former Sindh home minister, informing him of a possible attack on him in the upcoming elections. "We inform you to please keep vigilance and enhance your security," said his letter, referring to federal government reports. "We have already offered security to you but you refused," it added.
During the first phase of the LG elections on October 31, 12 people died in Daraza due to clashes between political rivals. Mirza's car also came under attack in Badin on Tuesday.
CM says no objections to army deployment
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that his government will have no objections if the armed forces are deployed on most sensitive polling stations. "We have no objections if the army is deployed at polling stations in addition to the civil administration," he said, adding that the plan to deploy police and Rangers has already been worked out. He was talking to the media after laying the foundation stone for the Rs750-million Korangi Crossing Flyover on Thursday.
"Only two districts, Sanghar and Badin, have been declared 'most sensitive', otherwise in the remaining 13 districts only some union councils are sensitive," he said. Shah pointed out that the culprits of Daraza Sharif incident have been arrested.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2015.
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