The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) filed a petition in the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday for a 30-day extension in the date for holding local government elections in Punjab and Sindh.
In its petition, the ECP said that it will be difficult to print nomination papers as the Sindh government intends to change election rules. The commission also informed the court that the Punjab government has partially or impartially changed several clauses of the local bodies election rules through an ordinance.
“The decision has been taken in view of inability expressed by the provincial governments to spare administrative officers for the election process and training due to relief and rehabilitation of flood affected people,” the ECP said.
The ECP had deferred the announcement of schedule for local government elections in Punjab and Sindh on Tuesday.
The ECP had said it had approached the Supreme Court for extension in time of issuance of the schedule till Aug 17, instead of July 28, and expressed the hope that the case would be taken up for hearing in coming days.
The ECP further said it was all prepared to hold the polls as expected but pointed out that certain activities were required to be carried out prior to the announcement of the schedule, including publication of final delimitation of constituencies, revision of electoral rolls on the basis of claims and objections received by the registration officers and completion of legal formalities required for the purpose of elections.
