KARACHI: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced on Tuesday that local elections in Karachi and Hyderabad will be held on January 15, 2023.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja – who headed a five-member bench comprising Nisar Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi, Babar Hasan Bharwana and Justice (retd) Ikramullah Khan – delivered the verdict, which was reserved by the commission on November 15.
The commission directed the concerned officials including the Sindh government, chief secretary and inspector general of police to ensure the holding of local body elections on the said date under Article 220 of the constitution and said that the presence of adequate number of security personnel for election duty should be ensured. Be sure. Transportation of polling stations, offices of District Returning Officers, Returning Officers (ROs), polling staff and polling materials to and from the offices of ROs.
In its decision, the commission wrote: “Further, the Federal Government is directed to provide adequate number of security personnel from other law enforcement agencies as per the security plan for the conduct of local elections in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions through the Secretary, Ministry of Interior.” done., amicably. The office is directed to take further necessary action accordingly.
Municipal elections in Karachi were postponed for the first time in July due to monsoon rains in the city. The Sindh government had repeatedly demanded rescheduling of the election dates.
As a result, the ECP postponed local elections several times due to non-provision of security by the provincial government, which refrained from providing law enforcement personnel, citing the floods.
The elections were initially scheduled for July 24 but were delayed due to “bad weather and rains”. Polling was then scheduled to be held on August 28 and October 24, but the provincial government refused to provide security.
In its latest move to further delay polling, the provincial cabinet earlier this month approved the postponement of local body elections in Karachi division under the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013 for another 90 days.
SHC directed the ECP to announce the date
In a similar case last week, the Sindh High Court had directed the ECP to announce a new schedule for local body elections in Karachi and Hyderabad.
In its judgment on the petitions of PTI and JI, the High Court directed the Commission to announce a new schedule for the local body elections in the two cities.
“We will not go to the extent of fixing the date of the polls or directing the manner in which it should be conducted or policed, but note that the date of ECP polling should preferably be but may notify within 15 days. Date of this order.”
The court asked the ECP to fix a new date for polling and preferably end the overall practice of “in any case election within a total period of 60 days”.
