The Supreme Court on Friday ordered Election Commission of Pakistan to ensure elections for the position of Karachi Mayor and Deputy Mayor to be held through a secret ballot within 60 days.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali was hearing a petition lodged by the Sindh government against various appellants.
The court observed that an earlier amendment to the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013, requiring a show of hands for the election of the top-most posts had “no legal effect” as the change was made after the election schedule had already been announced in August last year.
The order said even though the government had the right to “legislate law to hold such elections either through a show of hands or by means of secret ballot”, in this case, the amendment to the legislation was made “after the announcement of the election schedule.”
