Sindh again requests ECP to postpone LG polls in Karachi, Hyderabad

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 14 Jan 2023

Even as the Election Commission of Pakistan rejected the Sindh government’s move to withdraw notification for delimitations at the eleventh hour, the provincial government has pointed out that with the military unavailable to provide security during the polls, they should be delayed in at least Karachi and Hyderabad.

In a letter to the provincial election commissioner on Saturday morning, the Sindh Local Government and Housing Town Planning Department noted that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had rejected the Sindh government’s notification to withdraw delimitations in the province.

However, it noted that the January 13 order of the ECP was silent on the security concerns raised by the Sindh government after the military had informed the commission that it was unable to spare sufficient force to guard some 8,000 polling stations and had expressed that it can be available as a backup force.

In a subsequent letter on January 13, the military through the federal interior ministry had conveyed to the ECP to identify 500 critical polling stations where they can station members from the paramilitary Rangers as a static force.

The Sindh government, however, pointed out that in a high-level meeting held on January 13 by the provincial chief secretary, where the ECP secretary was briefed by senior officers of law enforcement and intelligence agencies of the security threats and the precarious law and order situation in the province, including specific threats to political leaders and workers of political parties.

“The said meeting has further corroborated the fear and apprehension of the government that due to the prevailing situation, there is a greater need for the presence of troops of the army and the civil armed forces to be statically deployed at the polling stations.

“The government of Sindh has already written to the ministry of interior, the government of Pakistan, for the provision of the required security,” it read.

The letter urged the ECP to postpone the second phase of the local government polls in Karachi Division and Hyderabad District until the required security is available at polling stations.