QUETTA, Nov 5: The National Party (NP) has announced that it will take part in local government (LG) elections in Balochistan scheduled to be held on Dec 7 despite reservations over its timetable and some other issues.

However, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Ideological (JUI-I) has called for postponement of the LG elections till the completion of delimitation according to law.

Addressing a press conference here, NP leader Mir Hasil Bizenjo said the Balochistan government pleaded in the Supreme Court that security situation in the province was not satisfactory for holding LG elections.

Also, he added, the provincial government was of the opinion that December was not suitable for holding LG elections because some parts of the province experienced chilling weather during this month.

Mr Bizenjo was accompanied by some other NP leaders, including provincial Minister Mir Rahmat Baloch and spokesman for Balochistan government Mir Jan Buledi.

He said due to freezing temperature in northern parts of Balochistan in November and December most people of these areas moved to other places and it would be difficult for them to take part in LG elections.

Likewise, he said, it would be difficult to make arrangements for LG elections in earthquake-affected areas of province where tremor had left thousands of people homeless.

Mr Bizenjo said his party wanted to hold LG elections in March next year and the provincial government presented all these issues before the apex court.

But, he added, because the apex court had issued directives for holding LG elections in December the government would respect its decisions.

He said despite all coalition partners in Balochistan were not in favour of holding LG elections in December, the NP would take part in the polls.

Mr Bizenjo said his party would field candidates in all part of the province. He called upon members of NP to prepare themselves for the LG elections.

Answering a question, he said previous local bodies should not be restored because it would set an example for the restoration of previous federal and provincial governments.

Speaking at a news conference also on Monday, JUI-I provincial chief Maulana Mohammad Hanif claimed that there were flaws in Balochistan’s local government laws and that until those flaws were not removed LG elections should not be held in the province.

He alleged wide-scale rigging in May 11 general elections and said a large number of petitions challenging election results were still pending in election tribunals.

He criticised Election Commission of Pakistan and said if LG election would be held in December its results would not be different from those of May 11’s elections.