ECP announces January 15 LG elections in Karachi and Hyderabad

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) set January 15 for local elections in Karachi and Hyderabad.

Karachi and Hyderabad will hold local elections on January 15, the Commission said. The verdict was reserved on November 15.

In July, monsoon rains in Karachi postponed the LG elections. The Sindh administration constantly requested a postponement.

The ECP put off municipal elections many times because the provincial government said there wasn’t enough security because of flooding.

“Bad weather and rains” postponed the elections from July 24. The provincial government refused to provide protection for the August 28 and October 24 elections.

The provincial cabinet authorised deferring local government elections in Karachi Division by 90 days under the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013.

In a similar case last week, the Sindh High Court told the ECP to change the dates for local elections in Karachi and Hyderabad.

In response to PTI and JI’s petitions, the high court ordered the commission to reschedule municipal elections in both cities.

We won’t say when or how the election should be held or who should run it, but the ECP could announce the date of the polls within 15 days of our decision.

The court ordered the ECP to set a new election date and complete the process within 60 days.