ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking postponement of the second phase of Local Government (LG) elections in Sindh and declared those elections in Sindh would be held on August 28, 2022.

During the hearing of the petition filed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) against the holding of local bodies’ (LBs) elections in Sindh, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial admitted that compared to its population, Karachi had less number of seats in the National Assembly (NA).

The Chief Justice noted that the SC cannot rule on such points that were raised before the Sindh High Court (SHC). “Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) should fight the case in the relevant forum,” he said. CJP Bandial asked the petitioners to solve the matter with the Election Commission of Pakistan and Constituency Committee.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by CJP, heard the petition. He remarked that there were constituencies in the Sindh capital with the population of 0.7 million or 1 million. “At the end of the day, there is a representation of people of the city in the NA as well as in Senate. But that is not a real representation of Karachiites,” he commented.

He urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to concentrate on resolving such issues. Speaking on the occasion, counsel for the ECP said that people’s representation was not the issue of people of all constituencies of the port city. “And the election commission does look into such complaints whenever they are reported,” he told the court.

CJP Bandial replied that there was a need to settle this issue for good. It may be noted that on July 20, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had rescheduled the second phase of the Sindh local government elections from July 24 to August 28, citing possible rains and bad weather in the province.

In June, the Sindh High Court had rejected pleas filed by major political parties, including the MQM-P to delay the local government elections. The SHC, while rejecting the plea to halt elections, had directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the polls in the province as per the schedule.

Former federal law minister Farogh Naseem, who is representing the MQM-P in court, had contended that the amendments made to the LG law by the Sindh government were against the Constitution and the decision of the SC.