KARACHI - Though the Sindh government has yet to take final decision of approaching the apex judiciary to delay the polls till March but many of the PPP ministers and leaders have advised the CM to accept the ECP decision in protest and conduct the local bodies elections on January 18.
The Sindh chief secretary met with Chief Election Commissioner Justice Nasirul Mulk in Islamabad and requested to delay the polls by March which was turned down by the ECP chief.
It is expected Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah will hold an emergency meeting on Friday (today) with the cabinet to evolve a strategy whether or not to approach the Supreme Court with a request to delay the LG polls till March.
When contacted more than three ministers and PPP leaders on condition of anonymity told The Nation that they will advise the chief minister to go with the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan and should be ready to hold the LG polls on January 18.
They said confrontation with the ECP would not be in the benefit of the provincial government of PPP because the federal government of PML-N and other opposition parties may take benefit from the differences by siding with the constitutional body. However, the Sindh government in its stance made public so far has reiterated it was the prerogative of the provincial government to give the date of the local government elections. Without consulting the Sindh government and announcing the schedule of the LG elections for January 18 will be violation of the constitution.
The Sindh government is stick to its stance of delaying the polls till March but final decision will likely be taken (today).