Sindh postpones LG polls in Karachi, Dadu again

Sindh postpones LG polls in Karachi, Dadu again

Pakistan

Elections will be postponed due to MQM's call on delimitations and flood water, provincial minister

KARACHI (Dunya News) – Sindh Government has announced to postpone local body elections in Karachi division, Hyderabad and Dadu due to Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan’s (MQM-P) demand on delimitations and flood water.

Sindh Minister for Information Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that the meeting was held for several hours under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah in which the local body elections to be held on January 15 were discussed.

The provincial minister said that due to flood water it has been written to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to postpone the local body elections in Dadu. He said that the process of voting was not possible due to flood water.

Memon said that MQM-P had objections on the issue of delimitation. He added that the cabinet has withdrawn the notification under section 10 on the demand of MQM.

Sharjeel Memon further said that a letter will be written to the ECP today on the issue of Karachi and Hyderabad local body elections while polls will be held in some districts of Sindh on January 15.

Provincial minister said that local body elections will not be held in one district of Hyderabad yet. He told that the delimitation of constituencies of one district of Karachi Division and Hyderabad had been withdrawn and the Sindh Cabinet meeting will be held again at 11 am today. 

The PTI has decided to challenge the Sindh government’s move in the courts. In a statement, Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh said that the MQM-P and PPP are two sides of the same coin.

He said the decision to put off the elections showed how much the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was frightened of the imminent defeat in Karachi and Hyderabad. He said PTI Chairman Imran Khan had exposed the whole corrupt system.

The Jamat-e-Islami (JI) also opposed the provincial government’s decision and announced to protest against it.