Complete legislation by Nov 30 to hold LBs polls: ECP deadline to Sindh govt

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday gave the Sindh government the last chance to hold local bodies’ (LBs) polls in the province, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

In its reply submitted to the Sindh High Court (SHC) during the hearing of a case on LBs, the ECP directed the provincial government to complete all the necessary work such as the legislation required as well as the compilation of data on the demarcations of constituencies by November 30 and submit to it the documents.

“Otherwise, the commission will be left with no option but to start delimitations of the constituencies in the province on its own from December 1,” the letter reads.

The provincial election commission, on the occasion, submitted to the court details of the proceedings that took place in the ECP in this connection.

The letter further reads that the chief secretary Sindh had not showed up in the SHC on the last hearing. 

“Secretary local government appeared in his place instead, and had demanded extension in the deadline for the submission of required data and the documents. 

It has been noticed that the Sindh government keeps seeking extension in the deadlines from time to time. 

This gives the impression as if the provincial government is not serious in holding the LBs elections,” the ECP says in the letter.

Reminding that the term of the last LBs had expired on August 30, 2020, the election commission writes that the provincial government should bear this thing in mind that not holding fresh elections within 120 days of the expiry of the last LBs term is a violation of the constitution.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has sought funds from the Centre as it has decided to hold LBs polls in the province in March 2022.

Reporter: Bilal Ahmad