Two weeks ahead of local bodies’ elections in Sindh, the provincial government on Wednesday challenged new delimitation by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the Sindh High Court.
The petition was filed in the Sindh High Court (SHC) by the Sindh secretary local government stating that new electoral boundaries have a number of flaws.
“The court had ordered the ECP to remove flaws of limits outlined in Sindh, but instead, the election commission completely changed local bodies system and terminated councils and towns. This step will disturb upcoming local government elections,” the petition said.
Following the petition, a two-member bench of the SHC issued notice to the ECP to file reply before Oct 15. The ECP has announced that local bodies’ polls in Sindh will be held in three phases – encompassing Sukkur and Larkana divisions on October 31 followed by Shaheed Benazirabad, Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad divisions on November 19 and Karachi division on December 3 this year. More than 6000 candidates have filed their nomination papers for 1520 municipal seats in Karachi.
ATC EXTEND BAILS OF MQM LEADERS
An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday extended the bails of Muttahida Qaumi Movement leaders Senator Tahir Mashhadi and Rauf Siddiqui.
The MQM leaders appeared before the court but the investigation officer in Tahir Mashhadi’s case could not appear before the court. The court further issued show cause notice to all absentee investigation officers. The court while rejecting the request of exemption from appearing in the court by the MQM leader Rauf Siddiqui, extended his bail till October 31.
Talking to media outside the court, Rauf Siddiqui said they were declared terrorists just for listening to the speeches of the MQM chief Altaf Hussain. The court extended the bail of Senator Tahir Mashhadi till October 27 and ordered to present police file from New Town police station.
