KARACHI/ISLAMABAD               -         Sindh government Friday withdrew all the notifications about delimitations of local councils in Karachi division and Hyderabad district. The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Sindh cabinet chaired by chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in Karachi. According to a notification issued in Karachi the sub-committee of the cabinet will reconsider and approve fresh notifications about delimitations. The second phase of local government elections will, however, take place as per schedule in all areas except Karachi division and Hyderabad district. The Sindh government has also written a letter to the provincial election commission for rescheduling of local government elections in Mehar and Khairpur Nathan Shah talkuas of Dadu districts that were badly damaged in floods. Meanwhile a delegation of MQM Pakistan led by Dr Farooq Sattar called on Sindh chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in Karachi and thanked the Sindh government for its decisions about delimitations of local councils. On the other hand, the MQM-P on Friday reiterated that the local body (LB) elections in Karachi and Hyderabad could not be held until new delimitation, but at the same time, it did not rule out its participation. “If despite our concerns, the elections do take place, then we will not boycott them. However, we will not accept the results of the elections,” MQM-P spokesperson Ahsan Ghauri told a private TV channel. The MQM-P’s announcement came hours after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided to hold local government polls in Karachi and Hyderabad as per schedule on January 15, rejecting the Sindh government’s request to postpone the elections. Raising questions over the size of the population in different constituencies, the MQM-P leader further said that as per the principle, the variation of the population in the constituencies could not be more than “+-10%”. The ECP decided to hold LG polls in Karachi and Hyderabad by using the “provision of Section 9” of the constitution, he said and argued that the section is not applicable in the case as the provincial government had issued the orders under Section 10 (1). “Section 9 is not applicable for an order issued under Section 10(1),” he added. “The ECP has no jurisdiction in Section 10 (1),” the former law minister added. Terming the election authority’s order “void”, Naseem said the LB polls would not have legal status. Speaking at the occasion, MQM-P leader Faisal Subzwari said he doubted the transparency of elections following the discrepancies within constituencies. “It is visible in the constituencies that the population of Nazimabad, Korangi, and Orangi Town is more compared to the seats. In some areas, the population is less and the seats are more. How will the elections be transparent?” Sabzwari asked, expressing reservations. In an apparent reference to the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), he also questioned people placing banners across the city about their absence when ‘injustice was being meted out” to Karachi and Hyderabad. “There was no census in the city for the last 20 years. When joining the [Pakistan Democratic Movement] PDM’s government, the first point raised was regarding the census,” he said. Meanwhile, the first crack is expected to appear in the federal coalition government as the newly merged MQM is considering parting ways with the Pakistan democratic Movement led coalition government at federal government level.