Tag: local body elections

  • ECP says LG polls will be held tomorrow

    ECP says LG polls will be held tomorrow

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday said the local government (LG) elections in Karachi and Hyderabad would be held on January 15 (tomorrow) as per schedule.

    The commission has rejected the demand of the Sindh government to postpone it over security threats to political leaders.

    It has also directed the Sindh government to ensure “foolproof preparations for peaceful elections”.

    ‘Threats to politicians’: Sindh govt once again asks ECP to delay LG elections

    Earlier in the day, the government asked ECP to delay the polls in Karachi and Hyderabad, citing “threats to various political leaders and workers of political parties” after warnings by law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

    The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government sent a letter to the commission with polls set to take place in less than 24 hours. The letter mentions the threat and it is added that the Sindh cabinet had also expressed its concern with the non-availability of the Pakistan Army and civil armed forces for static deployment at polling stations.

    The provincial government is repeatedly requesting ECP to delay the polls to calm down Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), which has warned that it will quit the coalition government if its grievances are not addressed before polls.

    ECP clears confusion; LG elections in Karachi, Hyderabad to be held on Jan 15

    On Friday, ECP said that the local government elections in Karachi, Hyderabad, and other districts would be held as scheduled on January 15.

    The ECP rejected the notification issued by the Sindh government last night.

    The decision was taken during a meeting of ECP headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and attended by all four members.

    Local government elections — scheduled for January 15 — will not be held in Karachi, Hyderabad, and Dadu, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon announced early Friday.

    The decision came after an emergency meeting of the PPP presided by party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and attended by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, provincial ministers and the district presidents of the party’s Karachi chapter, among others.

    In a press conference, Memon said that the decision was taken after the Sindh government withdrew a notification regarding the delimitations of the constituencies in Karachi after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) expressed reservations about it.

    “They (MQM-P) are our allies in the federal government and we take the concerns of our allies very seriously,” the minister said.

    Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vowed to “resist” the decision as they termed the delaying of the local body polls “unacceptable”.

    JI Karachi president Hafiz Naeem-Ur-Rehman termed the decision an “ambush” on Karachi and Hyderabad by PPP and MQM-P.

    “There will be a sit-in today at 3pm outside the Election Commission’s Sindh office,” JI Karachi President Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman had announced in a press conference, early Friday morning.

    PTI Sindh President Ali Zaidi said that the provincial government took the step as they were afraid of defeat.

    PTI leader Ali Zaidi, in a separate media talk on Friday morning also announced that the party will be holding a protest rally outside the Sindh Assembly at 4pm today.

  • PTI rejects ECP decision to defer Sindh local body elections, plans to challenge it

    PTI rejects ECP decision to defer Sindh local body elections, plans to challenge it

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has rejected the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone the Sindh local body elections and plans to challenge it in court.

    PTI leader Ali Zaidi said the party condemns ECP’s decision, adding that the electoral body was already controversial. “The ECP decision will be challenged in the Sindh High Court,” he said.

    The ECP announced the postponement of polls owing to Muharram and rainy weather.

    PTI leadership decides to stick around in Lahore till the election of Punjab CM

    Later, PTI Chairman Imran Khan postponed his Karachi visit ahead of Punjab’s chief minister election tomorrow, July 22.

    “Before the postponement of polls in Sindh, a PTI spokesman insisted that it was the party’s consensus decision that Khan should focus more on Punjab, and because of this he couldn’t spare two days — July 21 and 22 — for Karachi and Hyderabad,” reports Dawn.

    Lahore seeing a repetition of Sindh House horse-trading: Imran Khan

    On July 20, Khan claimed that horse-trading was happening in Lahore with MPAs being offered Rs500 million to switch their loyalty.

    “Today, Lahore is seeing a repetition of the Sindh House horse-trading episode that happened in Islamabad, with up to Rs500 million being offered to buy MPAs,” tweeted the PTI chairman. He alleged that PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari was the “main architect” behind this, adding that the former president has secured an “NRO for his corruption and purchases people with looted wealth”.

    “This is not only an attack on our democracy but also on the moral fabric of our society. Had Supreme Court taken action and debarred these turncoats for life, it would have acted as a deterrent,” claimed the PTI chairman.

    Khan further claimed that after his government was “toppled with stolen money from Sindh and NRO 2 achieved, certified criminal Asif Zardari in cahoots with Sharif mafia now seeking to steal Punjab people’s mandate by trying to purchase MPAs”.

    “Want to ask the Honourable Supreme Court: are they not cogniscant of the damage being wreaked? Isn’t destruction of our democracy, Constitution and nation’s morality a fit case for Suo Moto action? Are the ‘neutrals’ not realising how our beloved country is literally being destroyed on all fronts by the Imported government brought in through US regime change conspiracy?”

    PTI to move Supreme Court against horse-trading: Fawad Chaudhry

    On the other hand, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that the party will move the Supreme Court against horse-trading.

    “We want Rana Sanaullah, Zardari, and Ataullah Tarar to get arrested and the court to conduct an immediate inquiry into the matter,” he added.

  • ‘Khan is complaining about institutions being neutral since he cannot win otherwise’: Bilawal

    ‘Khan is complaining about institutions being neutral since he cannot win otherwise’: Bilawal

    Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari criticised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and said that he is complaining about the institutions being neutral since undemocratic parties like his cannot win otherwise. Bilawal’s comments were in response to the allegations made by PTI after the first phase of local body elections held in Sindh.

    “The beneficiaries of rigging are complaining before you. They cannot win. Imran Khan is complaining about our institutions being neutral since undemocratic parties like his cannot win otherwise. This is why today they are running a movement for our institutions to play a controversial role instead of a neutral and constitutional one,” said Bilawal addressing the National Assembly (NA) today (June 29).

    “Like Imran Khan, there are a few parties, politicians, and puppets in Sindh who are helped and made to come forward in a dictatorial rule. They were hoping, like Khan, for our institutions to not be neutral but controversial,” said the foreign minister.

    “When our institutions started becoming neutral, be it the Election Commission, the courts, or other institutions who used to take interest in elections, these people started panicking,” said Bilawal.

  • ‘Will personally oversee PTI’s LG election strategy’: PM Khan blames loss on wrong candidate selection in KP

    ‘Will personally oversee PTI’s LG election strategy’: PM Khan blames loss on wrong candidate selection in KP

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Tuesday said his party “made mistakes” as he pinned the blame of the poor performance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on “wrong candidate selection” for the first phase of local government (LG) elections held in Khyber Pakhtun­khwa (KP).

    PM Khan tweeted, “PTI made mistakes in 1st phase of KP LG elections & paid the price. Wrong candidate selection was a major cause.”

    Making sure that the same mistake is not repeated, the premier added, “From now on I will personally be overseeing PTI’s LG election strategy in 2nd phase of KP LG elections & LG elections across Pak.”

    Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif said that the people residing in the KP districts have rejected the ruling party.

    “The ruling party’s defeat is an expression of people’s anger over the back-breaking inflation, crushing price hike & the meltdown of governance,” said Shehbaz Sharif in a tweet.

    “It is the beginning of the end of an experiment that has cost the nation dearly.”

    PM’s remarks come after the Opposition parties have had a combined lead over the ruling PTI in the local body elections.