LOWER DIR: Jamaat-i-Islami, Awami National Party and other opposition parties on Saturday demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the second phase of local government elections on March 27 as scheduled and alleged that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf wanted delay in the polls.

In Lower Dir, JI local chapter announced that the party would challenge the postponement of the second phase of LG elections and demanded of the ECP to convince the apex court on holding the polls on March 27.

Talking to mediapersons, the JI leaders, including its district chief Izazul Mulk, said that March 27 was a suitable date for the LG polls. They said that schools and colleges in the winter zone reopened from March 1 each year because the weather conditions remained favourable in this month.

They alleged the PTI government wanted to run away from the elections fearing a defeat.

Claims ruling PTI wants elections to be delayed

They said that JI provincial chief Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan had announced to challenge the decision of postponement of LG polls in the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Awami National Party central spokesman Zahid Khan told mediapersons at his hujra in Odigram that the ECP had also decided to challenge the Peshawar High Court decision in the Supreme Court.

He claimed that through the delay of second phase the PTI leadership wanted to hide its defeat in the first phase of LG polls.

In Shangla, the leaders of various political parties from Kolai-Palas and Kohistan districts on Saturday demanded of the ECP to hold the local body elections on March 27 as scheduled earlier and alleged that the ruling party wanted delay in the polls.

The demand was made by Pakistan Peoples Party Kolai-Palas president Junaidur Rehman, Qaumi Watan Party leader Mir Alam from Lower Kohistan, social activist Talib Jan, Faqir Mohammad of JI and Mohammad Shamsuddin of PPP at a press conference in Bisham on Saturday.

They alleged that the PTI’s provincial government was making efforts to delay the LG elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Meanwhile, MNA Ibadullah Khan from Shangla also criticised the government for delaying the LG elections by what he called filing cases in the courts through their local leadership. He was addressing a public meeting in Shangla on Saturday.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2022