ISLAMABAD – The second phase of the local body elections in Sindh has beenpostponed until August 18, a spokesperson for the Election Commission ofPakistan (ECP) confirmed on Wednesday.
The elections were scheduled to take place on July 24. The ECP deferred thelocal body elections after it received requests from the MQM-P, GDA, chiefsecretary Sindh, and provincial election commissioner.
The ECP also postponed the NA-245 by-polls, which was scheduled to takeplace on July 27. The by-polls will now take place on August 21.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Raja had chaired a meeting where thebody reviewed different applications it had received for the postponementof the second phase of the local body elections and NA-245 by-polls. Theapplications had requested that the polls be held after Muharram.
The meeting also reviewed the reports submitted by the Met Office andprovincial election commissioner. The Met Office had informed the ECP ofits rain forecast in its report.
On the other hand, the provincial election commissioner in his report hadrequested the ECP to postpone the polls as it feared the rains may affectthe electoral bodies’ ability to conduct the polls and warned of low voterturnout.
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“This decision has been made based on the report submitted by provincialelection commissioner Sindh, requests from people and report submitted bythe Met Office,” said the spokesperson.
There are seven districts in the Karachi division — East, West, South,Central, Malir, Korangi, and Keamari — and nine districts in the Hyderabaddivision, which include districts Hyderabad, Tando Mohammad Khan, Matiari,Tando Allahyar, Badin, Dadu, Jamshoro, Thatta, and Sujawal.
The by-polls on the NA-245 were scheduled to take place on July 27 as theseat had fallen vacant after the death of PTI MNA Aamir Liaquat Hussain.
