SHC orders ECP to hold LG elections in Karachi, Hyderabad

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad.

Announcing the decision on Friday, which the SHC reserved on November 14 — on the petitions of JI and PTI against the delay in the local body polls, the high court also told the Sindh government to provide security for the elections.

The SHC court also ordered the ECP to issue the election schedule by December 3, binding it to fix the date within two months.

The elections were initially scheduled for July 24, however have been delayed multiple times after the Sindh government repeatedly refrained from providing security for the elections due to floods.

Later, the polling was set to take place on August 28 and October 24, but were again postponed as the provincial government refused to provide security.

The develpment comes as Sindh High Court takes up petitions filled by PTI and the Jamaat-e-Islami seeking directives for the local government elections.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman,Karachi JI ameer, said that the MQM had tried its best to get the elections postponed. “The PPP and the PML-N also committed a fraud,” he added.

While, PTI leader Khurram Sher Zaman said that he believed the Sindh government would adopt the delaying tactics despite the court orders.