THE postponement of the second phase of local government elections in Sindh, which was scheduled for Sunday, is a matter of concern for all those who want elected local bodies in the province. The decision announced by the ECP on Wednesday on the recommendation of the Sindh administration has been taken due to the forecast of heavy rains, as well as the advent of Muharram. The first phase of the polls was held last month, while the ECP has now pushed back voting for the second phase — which primarily affects Karachi and Hyderabad — till Aug 28. A by-election for Karachi’s NA-245 seat, which was due on July 27 will now be held on Aug 21. Though the PPP and MQM have likely breathed a sigh of relief after the announcement, the Jamaat-i-Islami and PTI are furious over the decision. The PTI says it will challenge the rescheduling in court, while JI says it will protest over the “conspiracy against democracy”.

It is to be hoped that the delay isn’t a ploy to indefinitely shelve the holding of polls for the third tier in Sindh. LG polls were last held in 2015, and the city of Karachi has been without an elected municipal head since mid-2020. In the meantime, administrators reporting to the PPP-led Sindh government have been running the show. Suffice it to say, the PPP has never been a strong advocate for elected local bodies in Sindh, particularly in the urban areas where its vote bank is limited. The MQM and PTI, meanwhile, had both gone to court on the plea that electoral rolls were not ready and delimitation was incomplete. It is true that inclement weather — it is abundantly clear that even moderate rains can paralyse Karachi — would create problems for voters. Moreover, the first 10 days of Muharram, which starts at the end of this month, also require the administration to put in extra efforts where security is concerned. However, there should be no indefinite delays beyond the new date announced by the ECP. This paper has always argued that Karachi — indeed all of Sindh’s urban areas — can only prosper through elected, empowered municipal heads. Municipal services were arguably much better when elected mayors — Niamatullah Khan and Mustafa Kamal — were in charge. Both the Sindh administration and the ECP must dispel misgivings that a plan is afoot to deny Sindh’s people their constitutional right to elected representatives at the third tier.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2022