All set for LG polls in 16 Sindh districts as ECP stays firm

Karachi: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Saturday rejected the fresh request by the Sindh government to delay the second phase of local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad, GNN reported citing sources. 

The second and final phase of local bodies' elections will be held in sixteen districts in Sindh on Sunday (January 15) including seven districts of Karachi division and nine districts of Hyderabad division.    

The elections will be held for seats of Metropolitan Corporation, Municipal Corporation, Town Municipal Committees, District Councils, Union Councils and Wards.

Twenty thousand one hundred and eighty candidates are contesting of which five hundred and sixty three have already been elected unopposed.

The decision was taken by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja who chaired an emergency meeting to review and discuss the Sindh government's. 

The Chief Election Commissioner announced that there would be no change in the schedule and the election will be held tomorrow in Sindh’s largest cities.

As per fresh request by the Sindh government, it was requested to postpone polls as officials apprised the participants of the precarious law and order situation along with specific threats to various political leaders and workers of political parties.

In the meantime, the electoral watchdog has already requested the federal government to approve the static deployment of Frontier Constabulary outside at all highly sensitive and sensitive polling stations. 

“The exact number of troops, date and area of deployment will be worked out by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Home Department Government of Sindh in consultation with Frontier Constabulary authorities, on the basis of on-ground requirement/assessment,” the statement read. 

Subsequently, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah emphasized for defusing the tense environment surrounding the conduct of local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad on Sunday.  

In a statement on Saturday, he said differences amongst the political parties on holding the local government elections had assumed a worrying situation. 

He warned that some miscreants can take advantage of the situation and the law and order situation may arise.

Yesterday, a central control room was established at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretariat, Islamabad to monitor the second phase of local government elections being held in Karachi and Hyderabad on Sunday. 

A spokesman of the ECP said in a statement that the control room would start working from Saturday (Jan 14) and will continue uninterrupted operations till receipt of the last result.

Senior officers would monitor the election process from the control room, while the electoral body’s secretary and special secretary would monitor the election process from the office of the Provincial Election Commission Sindh in Karachi.

The Spokesman said that polling-related complaints could be lodged round the clock on telephone no 051-9204402; 051-9204403; 051-9210837 and 051-9210838.