The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said on Monday that local bodies elections in Karachi and Hyderabad will be held as per schedule on January 15, rejecting a plea by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P), Aaj News reported.

The MQM-P said elections should not be held until the necessary legislation, constituencies, and voters’ lists are corrected, and local governments and constituencies are given their due authority.

During a hearing, a three-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, said polling will be held on the old voter lists.

Last week, Raja had made it clear to MQM-P that the elections would not be delayed no matter what.

CEC tells MQM-P: LG elections in Karachi, Hyderabad won’t be delayed

“You think you can get the elections delayed when your arguments are irrelevant so far,” he told the party’s lawyer.

The CEC also stated that the MQM-P also contested the 2018 election and by-elections and that the LG elections are being held on the same lists on which it contested the previous elections.

Background

The second phase of the LG polls in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions are scheduled to be held on January 15.

Karachi and Hyderabad were supposed to hold the second round of LG elections on July 24, 2022. However, the Sindh administration excused itself from holding the polls over the lack of security and police presence because of the flooding.

Later, the local body elections were rescheduled for August 28, 2022. Moreover, as the elections did not take place on that day, the date was again set as October 23 last year.

However, the polls were postponed on that date too.