The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) spokesperson on Sunday criticised Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah’s decision to acknowledge the reservations expressed by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) regarding delimitations in Sindh as genuine, deeming his statement as “wrong” and tantamount to “misleading” the people.
The spokesperson said that the minister’s statement shows that “he is not familiar with the election laws” and maintained that the allegations of using old voter lists for local government (LG) elections in Karachi and Hyderabad were “baseless”.
The spokesman further said that it is the job of the provincial government to provide the number of union councils (UCs), adding that the Sindh government has provided the number of UCs in each district in the relevant notification.
Read ECP maintains fine on Imran, drops one on Sanaullah
He also said that these constituencies have no similarity with the Islamabad case. In the Islamabad case, the number of UCs had increased during the election schedule.
Polling for the much-awaited second phase of local body elections in Sindh is currently underway in 16 districts of Karachi and Hyderabad.
Sanaullah had urged the political parties and the electoral bodies to understand the severity of the security situation ahead of the polls, emphasising the need to “diffuse the tense atmosphere” while requesting the ECP and the judiciary should take notice of the seriousness of the matter and find an appropriate solution in light of the Constitution and the law.
His statement had come after a dispute between the ECP and the Sindh government about the schedule of the LG polls in Karachi and Hyderabad.
The Sindh government on Saturday had reiterated its request to postpone the elections.
ECP takes notice of PTI leader
The ECP has taken notice of the reported attempt of breaking ballot box seals by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi in Tehsil Municipal Committee Jinnah, Karachi.
The electoral watchdog has ordered the expulsion of the Sindh Assembly lawmaker from the polling station.
The ECP has sought an immediate report from the provincial election commissioner on the matter, stating that this is an illegal act and a violation of the code of conduct.
