ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Wednesday, decided to postpone the polls in the seven districts of Karachi Division as the local government elections in all the remaining 16 districts of Sindh under the second phase— that were scheduled on August 28— stand postponed for the second time - amidst weather forecast of another devastating spell of torrential downpour in the province.
The decision to postpone the LG polls were taken in an ECP meeting in the federal capital presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, the electoral body announced.
The meeting decided that the new date for LG polls would be decided once the weather improved, the ECP said.
East, West, South, Central, Korangi, Keamari and Malir are the seven districts of Karachi Division where the LG polls have been postponed.
A day earlier, on Tuesday, the ECP decided to postpone the LG polls in nine districts of Hyderabad Division— Hyderabad, Dadu, Jamshoro, Matiari, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Badin, Sujawal and Thatta.
The polls in these 16 districts were earlier scheduled on July 24 under the second phase— but the ECP, on July 20, postponed these polls as well as by-election on National Assembly’s seat NA-245 Karachi – keeping in view the weather forecast of heavy downpour in the monsoon season.
The by-election in NA-245 Karachi was held on August 21. Mahmood Moulvi from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won this seat that was fallen vacant due to the death of PTI’s Aamir Liaquat Hussain in June this year.
Under the first phase, the LG elections were held on June 26 this year in 14 districts of Sindh - Larkana, Kambar Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Naushehro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, and Tharparkar.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) secured majority in these polls but the opposition parties rejected the results of the polls alleging massive foul play.
A total of 20,352 out of 21,298 candidates were in run for 5,331 out of 6,277 seats — with 946 candidates elected unopposed in these polls.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022