PTI to challenge ECP decision to put off Sindh local govt elections in court

• PTI rejects ECP decision to defer Sindh local body elections.
• PTI's Ali Zaidi says decision to be challenged in Sindh High Court.
• Says ECP was already controversial.

The PTI has rejected the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) decision to postpone the Sindh local body elections and plans to challenge it in court, Geo News reported Thursday.

Addressing a gathering in Hyderabad, PTI leader Ali Zaidi said the party condemns ECP's decision, adding that the Commission was already controversial.

The ECP decision will be challenged in the Sindh High Court, he said.

Apart from that, former Sindh governor Imran Ismail stated that the postponement of local body elections and the NA-245 poll is a sign of the PPP and MQM-P's defeat.

He claimed that the buyers and sellers of consciences are fleeing Sindh elections by setting up a market in Punjab and that the "thappa" mafia has escaped yet again today.

On the other hand, PTI leader Khurram Sher Zaman stated at a press conference in Karachi that the ECP had failed to conduct transparent elections. He said that the election commissioner should resign, adding that MQM-P and PPP had rigged the election ahead of time.

The second phase of Sindh's local body elections was scheduled to take place on July 24, but ECP postponed a day earlier due to the latest forecast of rain by the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, and it was decided to postpone the Sindh local government elections.

The decision was made at the request of the MQM, the chief secretary of the GDA, and the provincial election commissioner.

According to the Election Commission's spokesperson, the second phase of local elections in Sindh will now take place on August 28, 2022.

Sindh polls and rain forecast

On Wednesday, the Met Office said in a statement that various areas of Sindh, including Karachi, will see another spell of heavy rains.

According to chief meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz, the third monsoon system penetrated parts of the country Wednesday. The strong system may affect Sindh from July 23 to 26, with heavy rains likely in Karachi from July 24 to 26.

The chief meteorologist stated that moist winds from the Bay of Bengal are strengthening the monsoon system, and moisture coming from the Arabian Sea will support it.

The Met department has forecast heavy rains in the first phase of the monsoon until August 15.