The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday gave a last opportunity to the Sindh government to hold local government (LG) elections in the province.
According to sources, in its reply submitted to the Sindh High Court (SHC) during the hearing of a case on local bodies, the ECP said that it had directed the provincial government to complete all the necessary work such as the legislation required and the compilation of data on the demarcations of constituencies by November 30 and submit 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 in the court details of the proceedings that took place in the ECP regarding this matter. The letter further reads that chief secretary Sindh had not shown 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 extensions 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 in mind that not holding fresh elections within 120 days of the expiry of the last LBs term is a violation of the constitution.
On the other hand, the Punjab government has sought funds from the Centre as it has decided to hold LBs polls in the province in March 2022.
