ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued the schedule for indirect polls for reserved seats in Sindh’s local bodies which had been delayed because of litigation.

According to the schedule announced on Friday, polling for reserved seats of district councils, municipal and district municipal corporations and the metropolitan corporation will be held on Feb 20 and of union councils and committees and town and municipal committees on Feb 22. The commission issued the election dates for women, labourers and non-Muslims’ seats after the Sindh High Court passed an order on the matter on Feb 10.

The elections for 9,500 reserved seats in the local bodies had earlier been scheduled for Feb 14.

The Sindh government was under pressure from various parties, especially the MQM, because of the delay in the elections and it had asked the ECP to announce the schedule but the commission had cited the court proceedings.

The issue arose when the provincial government made amendments to the local government laws regarding elections for electing the mayor and deputy mayor of the metropolitan corporation, chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of district councils and members on reserved seats through show of hands. The decision was challenged in the high court.

A similar provision has been inserted in Punjab’s laws and there too, a legal battle continues and the ECP is yet to announce the polling dates.

PPP Senator Saeed Ghani said: “There are cases but the court had not issued any stay order and the process should have continued in Sindh.”

BY-ELECTION: According to APP, the ECP will hold by-election in National Assembly’s constituency NA-101, Gujranwala, on March 22.

According to a notification, nomination papers may be filed on Feb 17 and 18 and will be verified by Feb 23. Decisions on appeals against acceptance or rejection of the papers will be made by March 1.

The candidates can withdraw their papers by March 7 when the final list will be published.

The seat fell vacant after retired Justice Iftikhar Ahmad Cheema was disqualified on charges of concealing his assets.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2016