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Sindh govt’s decision turned down; LB polls to be held on Jan 15: ECP

Sindh govt’s decision turned down; LB polls to be held on Jan 15: ECP

ISLAMABAD ( Web News )

The Election Commission of Pakistan has decided to complete the second phase of local bodies polls in Sindh on January 15 while rejecting the Sindh government’s request to postpone the elections.

This decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja in Islamabad on Friday. The ECP took stock of the situation after the provincial government’s announcement. The meeting also took stock of the situation that may erupt after the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly.

The meeting was attended by chief election commissioner, members, special secretary, DG Law, DG local government elections and other senior officers.

ECP also expressed concerns over government of Sindh’s act of delaying local bodies’ polls to be held on January 15.

In the meeting, it was discussed that the federal or the provincial governments were not serious in holding local bodies’ polls. All the responsibility of amending local bodies’ law of Islamabad was transferred towards ECP. All the arrangements of holding LB polls in Sindh were complete but this act (of delaying tactics) was committed just ahead of two days.

The ECP mandated that the polls will be held on January 15 as per the schedule and issued an order to the Interior Ministry.

The commission also maintained that deployment of army and rangers personnel should be ensured at highly sensitive polling stations in the province.

Moreover, the ECP expressed anger and considered taking strict action against the Sindh government’s announcement to postpone the LB elections.

The meeting stated that neither the federal nor provincial governments want to hold any local elections. The ECP added that all the debris of the amendment of the Islamabad Local Government Act fell on the commission.

It furthered that all arrangements for the local body elections in Sindh were completed two days ago at the exact time that the ruling PPP announced the delay.

The meeting also discussed the situation following the Punjab chief minister’s request for the dissolution of the provincial assembly with senior officers in attendance.

It is worth mentioning here that Sindh government decided to not hold LB polls in Karachi, Hyderabad and Dadu on January 15 whereas Jamaat-e-Islami announced to hold sit-in on the decision of the Sindh government.

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