ECP postpones LG polls in several districts, to decide on Karachi tomorrow

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has called a meeting to review the local body elections in the Karachi division tomorrow (Wednesday). The commission will take a final decision after reviewing the points raised by the Sindh government and the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) report regarding the weather.
Meanwhile, municipal elections have been postponed in Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Matiari, Dadu, Thatta, Badin and Sajawal.Earlier, ECP had rejected reports from deputy commissioners of 16 Sindh districts suggesting postponement of the local government elections, saying that the polls will not be delayed anymore. The LG polls are scheduled to take place on August 28 (Sunday) across the province. The commission while saying elections will go on as planned in the Karachi division, said that it would decide later about elections in the Hyderabad division, keeping in view the convenience of the voters.
Earlier today, the Sindh government wrote to the provincial Election Commission of Pakistan requesting the postponement of the polls in light of the monsoon rains forecast across the province in the coming week.
Sixteen deputy commissioners asked for the postponement for the next 45 days, however, Karachi’s central DC recommended that the polls be conducted.
Sindh Election Commissioner Ejaz Anwar Chauhan said that rainwater was still accumulated in various districts in Karachi which has also affected the polling stations in those areas. The provincial election commissioners asked the DCs and regional election commissioners to submit reports regarding the rain station.
According to the officials of zhe provincial election commission, the body has constituted three election regions including Karachi which comprise seven districts named district west, Karachi East, Malir, Korangi, Keamari, Central, and South. The Hyderabad regions include six districts named Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Dadu, Matiari, Tando Allahyar, and Tando Muhammad Khan while the Badin region is inclusive of Badin, Sujawal, and Thatta. ‘Redirecting resources for polls may exacerbate situation’ In the letter sent to the ECP, the provincial government Sindh has suffered losses of Rs450 billion as the rains have wreaked havoc across the province. – NNI