ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) turned down a petition of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), announcing the elections for local governments in Karachi and Hyderabad will be held as per schedule on January 15.
The verdict was pronounced by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja on an MQM-P petition challenging the decision of the agency for the prospective use of two separate electoral rolls in the upcoming elections simultaneously.
The party had challenged the decision of the ECP for the prospective use of two separate electoral rolls in the local government polls simultaneously.
A three-member bench of the electoral body, headed by CEC Raja, had reserved the verdict on Friday.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) had also approached the tribunal seeking the holding of polls according to the schedule which have been postponed multiple times for one reason or another.
Announcing the verdict, the ECP directed the authorities to ensure that elections are held on time.
During the last hearing, the chief election commissioner told the MQM-P lawyer that he has gone to various forums, however, the issue of electoral rolls was never raised before.
He told the lawyer to raise any other issue so that they can be clubbed.
The CEC further remarked that the lawyer is giving a wrong statement regarding the dual electoral rolls, rejecting his statement.
“You think you can get the elections postponed again? Your arguments are irrelevant so far,” he noted.
CEC Raja also stressed that the local government elections in Karachi will not be delayed, saying that it’s the ECP’s job to conduct the polls.
