ISLAMABAD - The Local Bodies (LB) polls in Punjab and Sindh may get further delayed as the two provinces informed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday that the law and order situation was not conducive for holding the exercise as ordered by the Supreme Court.
While the apex court had ordered the ECP to hold LB polls in Punjab and Sindh by September 26, the provinces citing security concerns and the upcoming month of Muharram sounded to be not ready to hold the polls even in November.
As the ECP has to explain to Supreme Court on Tuesday (today) as to why it has failed to issue the schedule for LB polls in Punjab on July 28, the Commission under Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (Retd) Sardar Raza Khan held a meeting with Chief Secretaries Punjab and Sindh to get their opinion in order to satisfy the apex court.
Both Punjab and Sindh had earlier argued that the polls cannot be held in September 26 due to the engagement of civil administration in relief and rehabilitation of flood victims seeking extension in issuing of the election schedule.
But on Monday, Chief Secretary Sindh and Secretary Local Government Punjab came up with a new excuse to further delay the polls citing law and order situation in general and particularly in Muharram.
The ECP was informed that the Haj season was another reason for delaying the polls coupled with engagement of staff (DCOs), TMOs and other officials in relief and rehabilitation activities in the wake of the raging floods.
The meeting was attended by members of the Election Commission, Chief Secretary Sindh, Secretaries Local Government, Provincial Election Commissioners of Punjab and Sindh and officers of the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Although the meeting was held to discuss proposed schedule for LB polls in Punjab and Sindh, the Commission failed to fix date for the schedule despite the fact that the ECP had assured the apex court that the polls would be conducted in phases in November.
“Now it seems the ECP will not be able to conclude the exercise in November keeping in view the lack of preparedness on part of the provinces. It depends now on Supreme Court how will it take the excuse of commission on Tuesday(today),” a source privy to the meeting told The Nation.
The Chief Secretary Sindh, Secretary Local Government Punjab and other participants briefed the Commission on the preoccupation of provincial and district administration, who according to them, also performed duties of District Returning Officers/ Returning Officers; in rehabilitation of the flood affected people and in maintaining law and order situation.
During the meeting, it was also pointed out that almost all official buildings including schools and hospitals were occupied by the flood affected people and could not be used as polling stations.
The Commission was also informed that more than 100 appeals have been filed in Punjab and Sindh High Courts regarding delimitations of constituencies which need to be disposed of before the issuance of election schedule in both the provinces.
The provinces also highlighted the risks in case the polls schedule is hurriedly announced arguing corrections, insertions and deletion in the Electoral Rolls could not be made immediately once the schedule is issued.
A brief statement issued by ECP quoting the administration of Punjab and Sindh said that training of a huge number of staff and printing of electoral rolls would need a plenty of time for which further time will be required.
It is to be mentioned here that Supreme Court has already rejected the revised schedule for LB polls in Punjab and Sindh giving stern directions to ECP to hold the exercise at earliest.
But the ECP passes the buck to provinces complaining before the court that it cannot hold the polls in the absence of prescribed rules that have to be formulated by Punjab and Sindh.