ISLAMABAD: Despite orders by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to hold local government (LG polls) polls in the capital city today (Dec 31), the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) appears to have not only defied the IHC orders but failed to comply with the same as polling process could not begin yet.
"ہم آگئے ہیں الیکشن کراؤ"
اسلام آباد کے کئی پولنگ اسٹیشنز پر ووٹرز موجود لیکن عملہ غائب pic.twitter.com/gQNt17RkPc— Mughees Ali (@mugheesali81) December 31, 2022
According to information gathered by MM News, polling process which was scheduled to start at 8am today couldn’t kick off as elections staff couldn’t reach polling stations till the filing of this report.
https://twitter.com/mmnewsdottv/status/1609023182312439808
MM News witnessed large queues of men and women standing outside some schools-turned-polling stations, but the gates of the premises appeared locked, and the buildings empty.
https://twitter.com/mmnewsdottv/status/1609022266293248002
People of Islamabad took to social media and posted pictures and videos, showing long queues of voters standing in vain across various UCs of the federal capital city.
Last night, it may be recalled, the ECP expressed its inability to hold elections on a short notice. It had sought seven days to conduct LG polls in the capital city.
کل 430 پر عدالت کا فیصلہ آیا پی ٹی آئی نے فیصلے کا خیر مقدم کیا اور راتوں رات کیمپ لگے صبح صبح ووٹر پولنگ ایجنٹس اور امیدوار موجود لیکن امپورٹڈ حکومت کا ذیلی ادارہ الیکشن کمیشن غائب۔ تاریخ دہرائی جارہی ہے سہولتکاروں کو پھرے ملک کے ٹکڑے کرنے کا کام سونپا گیا ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/rnyhbHlkmo
— Sabeen Younas (@sabeen_younas) December 31, 2022
On Friday, the IHC ordered the ECP to conduct the LG election as per the schedule. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir issued the orders while hearing petition of the PTI and JI against the election body’s verdict to delay the polls “for the time being” due to government’s decision to increase the number of union councils (UCs).
ووٹرز پولنگ سٹیشنز پہنچ گئے لیکن الیکشن کمیشن کی روایتی بیغیرتی جاری۔۔۔ تمام اسلام آباد کے پولنگ سٹیشنز پر تالے
#IslamabadElections #بلے_پہ_ٹھپہ pic.twitter.com/5Z9mVppne9
— Azhar Mashwani (@MashwaniAzhar) December 31, 2022
Following the verdict, the ECP convened an emergency meeting last night when it was told that more than 14,000 members of the polling staff were teachers and employees of other departments and they were on winter vacation, hence making it difficult to conduct the election.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Friday though the government respected court’s ruling, the local government elections would not be possible before four months.
