Islamabad: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) on Monday has given permission to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue new dates for local bodies election (LB) in Sindh and Punjab.
A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, heard the case against the delimitation of constituencies in Sindh and Punjab.
Secretary of ECP, Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan presented a report in the SC that it was almost impossible to conduct LB election on the same dates issued early due to the verdict by the higher courts of Sindh and Punjab in which it termed the delimitation law as ‘illegal’.
The ECP has the point that there were over 4,000 applications still with the relevant authorities, raising objections to delimitation of constituencies in the run-up to the upcoming local bodies elections. Moreover, the printing of ballot papers for the two provinces appeared impossible within the specified period.
It further said that the printing of 300 million ballot papers in Punjab and 30 million in Sindh were not possible within the given schedule. He said the Printing Press of Pakistan (PPC) had no capacity to do the task in given time.
Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan while talking to media after the hearing said that the SC has given permission after hearing additional IG and the ECP.
To a query, he said that the ECP now would only the new schedule with the consultation of the provincial governments.
To another query, he said that candidates have to submit their forms  again if the law changes.
He further said that the future of LB election in Contonment, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and Islamabad will be decided on January 15 which was schedule to be held before February 15.
It may be pointed out here that the local bodies polls in Sindh and Punjab are scheduled to be held on January 30 and 18, 2014, respectivelyÛ”
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