**Sindh told to hold LB polls in 90 days
**
KARACHI: A division bench of Sindh High Court (SHC) Friday ordered Sindh Government to hold local bodies elections in the province within 90 days.
The order came in a constitutional petition filed by former District Nazim Sukkur, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah seeking the court order for holding local bodies elections.
The petitioner submitted that the local bodies elections were not held as per SLGO and were delayed on filmsy grounds.
The tenure of the local bodies ended in the year 2009 and elections were to be held as per Article 140-A, Barrister Shabbir Shah, counsel for the petitioner submitted.
The bench comprising Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Nadeem Akhtar after hearing the arguments of both sides including Sindh Government and Election Commission also observed that the provincial government was constitutionally bound to hold the local bodies elections.
ECP was also directed to announce the election schedule.
Source
I was wondering if it is the right time to hold LB polls in Sindh or elsewhere? Federal and provincial governments are nearing end of their terms and their mandate has no steam left in it. With new elections almost around the corner, the outgoing governments will definitely try to manipulate the entire electoral process and results as much as they can. Use of funds and government machinery cannot be ruled out of the LB polls if they take place at this point of time.
I understand that the present setup should not be allowed to conduct LB polls because once the current governments are gone, the newly-elected LB setup will become a liability for the next governments and a cold-war and clash of interests and loyalties will open up a new Pandora’s box.