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Local body polls in Karachi, Hyderabad to take place on January 15: ECP

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  • Election date decided after several delays.
  • CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja announces reserved verdict.
  • SHC directed ECP to announce a new schedule for polls. 

KARACHI: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday announced that local government elections would take place on January 15, 2023, in Karachi and Hyderabad. 

Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja — who headed the five-member bench comprising Nisar Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi, Babar Hassan Bharwana, and Justice (retd) Ikram Ullah Khan — announced the verdict that the commission had reserved on November 15.

The commission directed relevant authorities including Sindh government, chief secretary, and the inspector-general of police to ensure local body polls are held on the said date under Article 220 of the Constitution and asked to ensure sufficient number of security personnel are available for election duty at the polling stations, offices of the district returning officers, returning officers (ROs), polling staff and transportation of polling material from and to the offices of the ROs.

In its verdict, the commission wrote: “Further Federal Government through Secretary Ministry of Interior is directed to provide sufficient number of security personnel from other law enforcement agencies, in accordance with the security plan for the conduct of Local Government Elections in Karachi and Hyderabad Divisions, in a peaceful manner. The office is directed to take further necessary action accordingly.”

The LG polls in Karachi were first postponed in July due to the monsoon rains in the city. The Sindh government had repeatedly sought the rescheduling of dates for the election.

As a result, the ECP deferred the local government elections multiple times due to the non-provision of security from the provincial government, which refrained from providing law enforcement personnel citing floods. 

The elections were initially scheduled for July 24, but they were delayed due to “bad weather and rains”. Then, polling was set to take place on August 28 and October 24, but the provincial government refused to provide security.

In its latest move to delay the polling further, the provincial cabinet had earlier this month approved delaying local government elections in Karachi Division for another 90 days under Sindh Local Government Act, 2013.

SHC directs ECP to announce date 

Last week, in a similar case, the Sindh High Court had directed the ECP to announce a new schedule for the local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad.

In its verdict on the pleas of PTI and JI, the high court directed the commission to announce a new schedule for the local body polls in both cities.

“We would not go so far as to dictate the date of the election or direct the manner in which the same ought to be conducted or policed, but would note that the ECP may notify the polling date, preferably within a period of 15 days from the date of this order,” the order mentioned.

The court demanded the ECP to specify a fresh polling date and preferably conclude the overall exercise of the “election in any event within a total period of 60 days”.

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FO admits that a boat capsized in Greece, killing four Pakistanis.

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The deaths of four Pakistanis in a boat capsizing event close to the southern Greek island of Goudos have been verified by the Foreign Office.

The incident happened on Sunday and at least five illegal immigrants drowned as a result. According to Greek Coast Guards, 39 people were rescued after the wooden boat overturned, but 40 more are still unaccounted for.

According to a Foreign Office spokeswoman, the four Pakistani nationals were among those killed in the catastrophe. In order to help the remaining Pakistanis and repatriate the corpses of the deceased, the Pakistani Embassy in Athens has been in close communication with Greek authorities, she said.

Additional information was given by Aamir Aftab Qureshi, Pakistan’s ambassador to Greece, during a press conference. According to him, there were 80 Pakistanis on board the doomed boat, and efforts are still being made to find the people who are still missing.

He added that the overcrowding on the boat was a factor in the capsizing. There are worries over the safety of the missing people because a sizable portion of them are children. He stated that five boats carrying Pakistani nationals were traveling illegally from Libya.

The public was also informed by Ambassador Qureshi that the government will pay for the return flight of the accident victims’ bodies.

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Every office will have a biometric system installed by Lesco.

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system in each office.

Details show that the LESCO had ordered the installation of biometric systems in all offices, including the divisions and the circle.

The installation of the biometric system at the headquarters resulted in an increase in attendance, as the LESCO CEO had stated.

The CEO of LESCO claimed that the biometric system has resolved the issues related to the fictitious overtime and off-days.

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Around 450 Pakistanis have successfully crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to a briefing from the Foreign Office.

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Approximately 450 Pakistanis, including 250 Zaireen, have successfully crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to the spokesperson for the Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.

During her weekly briefing at the foreign office in Islamabad, she stated that Pakistan is pleased with the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly on the Gaza Strip, which calls for an immediate ceasefire.

In addition, she expressed her satisfaction with the elimination of limits placed on UNRWA’s ability to carry out relief activities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

It was stated by her that Pakistan is demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities in Palestine, an end to the genocide that is taking place in Gaza, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid for those who are in urgent need, full support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and its mandated humanitarian activities, and medical assistance for those who are in urgent need.

Moreover, she stated that Pakistan emphasises the need for the international community to hold Israel accountable for the war crimes and crimes against humanity that it has committed in occupied lands.

The Israeli aggression against Syria, the illegitimate acquisition of Syrian territory, and the massive devastation of Syrian infrastructure as well as civilian and military sites are all topics that Pakistan is extremely worried about, according to the spokesperson for Pakistan.

According to her, this attack on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is a serious violation of international law to the highest degree. By expressing our support for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we are also expressing our opposition to the Israeli government’s attempt to acquire territory through coercion.

The resolution 497 of the United Nations Security Council, which declares the annexation of the Golan Heights by Israel to be null and illegal and to have no international legal impact, was reaffirmed by her organisation.

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