KARACHI: The Election Commission of Pakistan has directed the Sindh government to undo the changes made in the list of constituencies of union councils and wards by altering urban areas to rural UCs and wards for the upcoming local government elections in the province.

Sources said that the ECP directive would affect over hundreds of wards and union councils in 16 of the 29 districts in Sindh and may compel the ECP to seek changes in the schedule of polling for the local government elections to be held on Oct 31, Nov 19 and Dec 3 in different districts of Sindh in three phases.

The sources said that the ECP asked the provincial government to revise the number of union councils/ wards in pursuance of the recommendations of the committee constituted by the ECP in pursuant to the Sept 18 order of the Sindh High Court through which the court had cancelled the delimitation of certain UCs across Sindh.

The committee was headed by the provincial election commissioner and comprising the secretary and deputy secretary of the LG department, all regional election commissioners and district election commissioners and Delimitation officers concerned as its members.

The committee had completed its task in the light of the SHC directives under the provisions of the Delimitation and Constituencies Act, 1974 and prepared the proposal/recommendation for changes in the list of existing constituencies.

After finalisation of its recommendations, the committee sent its report to the ECP, which approved the report and directed the authorities concerned to make necessary changes in the list of existing constituencies in accordance with the directives.

The ECP further directed that the provincial government revise the number of union councils/wards in pursuance of the recommendations of the committee.

Regarding nomination papers submitted to the Returning Officers concerned by the candidates, the ECP said that the papers shall be transferred to the union council concerned by the RO in pursuance of the court orders.

Published in Dawn, September 28th , 2015

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