CHAKWAL: Voters and candidates in five union councils were left bewildered after confusing orders were issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Late on Thursday, the ECP announced that elections in six union councils (UCs) – Maingan, Balokassar, Lehr Sultanpur, Saloi, Dandot and Khai – are being postponed.

Voters and candidates awoke on Friday believing that they would not be voting on Saturday. However, on Friday noon, the ECP announced that elections would be held in the Maingan, Balokassar and Khai union councils but not in UCs Lehr Sultanpur, Saloi and Dandot.

“We received an order from the Lahore High Court (LHC) which directed that elections would be conducted in Maingan, Khai and Balokassar,” Election Commissioner Chakwal Shahid Islam said. He confirmed that no elections would be held in UCs Saloi, Lehr Sultanpur and Dandot.

“We spent money and time campaigning but at the eleventh hour the decision about the deferment of the polls left us disappointed,” Raja Riasat Ali, a candidate for chairman UC Lehr Sultanpur seat, told Dawn.

“I wanted to contest the election as a candidate for the seat of vice-chairman but the legal battle obstructed my plan,” said Akhtar Hussain from Lakhwal village.

“The people of my village have faced a lot of problems due to the long legal battle,” Mr Hussain said.

Talking to Dawn, senior advocate Haroon Irshad Janjua said the new UCs had been carved out unlawfully because the ECP did not have the authority to do so. “Only the government can create new UCs,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play