In any event, the elections for Karachi’s local bodies won’t be postponed: CEC informs MQM-P
ECP hears from a representative of the JI that “every feasible attempt” is being made to delay the elections for local bodies of government.
ISLAMABAD: According to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, the local body (LB) elections in Karachi won’t be postponed under any circumstances.
At a hearing for the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-(MQM-P) Pakistan’s application about the objections to the voter lists for the Karachi municipal elections, the CEC made the comments.
The MQM-P attorney objected at the hearing, claiming that it was illegal to utilise the outdated voter list for elections.
Why doesn’t [the] MQM-P raise every complaint at once? CEC Raja responded that the party had been addressing the courts even prior to this hearing.
If there’s anything else, bring it up and we’ll decide as a group, he said.
The MQM-P ran in both the general election and the by-elections in 2018, according to the CEC, and the LB elections are being held on the same lists as it ran in those elections.
The MQM-legal P’s representative brought up another issue during his statements, claiming that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was lacking on April 29, 2022.
Raja was alarmed by the comment and argued that the party’s presented application makes no reference of the ECP being lacking.
“Stick to the petition; don’t discuss anything else. In no case will the elections be postponed, he continued.
However, Additional Advocate General Sindh Fawzi Zafar asked the court to grant him until the next week to present his case in support of the application.
Then, citing a lack of preparation, the election monitor revoked the Sindh government’s right to argue.
A Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) spokesperson stated to the ECP at the hearing that “every feasible effort is being made to postpone the local government elections.”
JI added that the LG elections should take place on January 15.
With “every passing day, people are eligible to vote, and if MQM-demands P’s are met then the LB polls would never be held,” Special Secretary ECP Zafar Iqbal stated in his remarks.
Additionally, DG Law ECP asked to reject the MQM-appeal P’s and stated that voter lists are updated over time. He added that the press statement made it clear that the LB elections will take place on the old list and that the election dates had never been changed.
The ECP then postponed making a decision regarding the petitions pertaining to voter lists for the Karachi LB elections.
Elections in LB are postponed
On January 15, the second round of the LG elections in the Karachi and Hyderabad divisions are expected to take place.
You may remember that the second round of the local government elections was scheduled on July 24, 2022, in Hyderabad and Karachi.
However, due to inadequate security and police presence brought on by the flooding, the Sindh government excused itself from holding the elections.
The subsequent revised date for the local body elections was August 28, 2022.
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Additionally, because the elections were not held on that day, the date was changed to October 23 of the previous year.
However, on that day as well, the voting was delayed.
Elections shouldn’t take place until the required legislation, constituencies, and voter lists have been updated, according to the MQM-P.
The party has additionally argued against holding elections unless local governments and constituencies are given the authority they deserve.
