ISLAMABAD: The arrangements have been finalised for the first phase of the local government elections in Sindh’s 14 districts and Swat which will be conducted tomorrow (Sunday), the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said Friday.
The polling will go ahead as planned after the Sindh High Court (SHC) dismissed the petitions filed by MQM-P and PTI against holding local bodies elections in Sindh without completion of delimitation and election process and complying with the Supreme Court directives.
The parties had submitted in their petitions that the ECP had issued notifications for holding the LG elections in two phases on June 26 and July 26 without completing the due electoral process.
They had argued that impugned notifications were against the Supreme Court decision in which various vires of the local government act had been declared ultra vires of Section 140 A of the Constitution.
The SHC’s division bench comprising Justice Mohammad Junaid Ghaffar and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito after hearing the arguments of the parties, for a reason to be recorded, later on, dismissed the petitions.
The election commission, in a statement, said that the armed forces and Rangers personnel will patrol all the constituencies where elections are to be held — before and during the electoral process.
The commission said it was in contact with the army, Rangers, and other law enforcement agencies, all of whom have assured full cooperation.
The electoral body has already directed the Sindh government to deploy additional police force from other districts to the areas where elections will take place to ensure the holding of peaceful polls and has been assured of implementation.
