KARACHI, June 13: The schedule for the local bodies polls would be announced soon. This was stated by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar while talking to reporters at the office of the Provincial Election Commissioner here on Monday. Earlier, he chaired a meeting with the senior officials of the Sindh Government.
The CEC later told newsmen that as soon as the budget sessions are completed, the schedule for the local bodies elections would be announced.
He said that at today’s meeting he told the senior officials of the government of Sindh to complete the formation of the districts as early as possible so that the tasks of polling scheme and polling stations be taken up.
Justice Hameed Dogar further stated that the District Returning Officers would also be appointed and they would have to complete the required exercise which will take time.
He said that today’s meeting was aimed at apprising the provincial government officials of all these factors.
He stated that polling scheme and polling stations have to be set up and the people be apprised as to where they are going to cast their votes.
The CEC pointed out that it was the point of view of the participants of the meeting that the new and old national identity cards be allowed for casting of votes.
He said that a decision to this effect would be made after holding a meeting.
Justice Hameed Dogar stated that a meeting would also be held with the officials of NADRA to ascertain to how many percent of new identity cards have been made in the country.
He said that the local bodies elections in every province would be conducted in two phases.
The CEC said that meeting may also be held with the political parties separately and it would be impressed that they follow a code of conduct for these polls.
A meeting was held here at the Provincial Election Commission office on Monday to look into a matter of great importance pertaining to finalization of boundaries of Union Councils and Talukas in newly-created districts in Sindh,
It was chaired by the Chief Election Commissioner, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Judge of Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Justice Mohammed Sadiq Leghari, Judge of the Sindh High Court and a member of the Election Commission, Secretary, Election Commission of Pakistan, Kanwar Mohammad Dilshad, and Provincial Election Commissioner, Sindh, Ahmed Ali Halepota, were also present.
The CEC inquired about the finalization of boundaries of union councils and Talukas in the newly-created districts. He reiterated that once the schedule of Local Government elections is announced, no changes whatsoever could be brought in these boundaries.
Such a situation of delay in the boundaries exists only in Sindh which may hamper timely conduct of local government elections, he said.—APP
