TERENCE J SIGAMONY

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court dismissed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s petition to delay the Local Government polls in the Sindh province.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan on Tuesday heard the PTI President Sindh Chapter, Ali Zaidi, in his chambers and after hearing his counsel’s arguments against the SC Registrar’s objections dismissed the petition.

Zaidi had filed a petition in the apex court praying for the cancellation of the notification issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the local bodies’ elections in Sindh.

The ECP had announced that the first phase of local bodies’ elections in Sindh will take place on June 26. According to the electoral body, the first phase will cover 14 districts of Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Mirpurkhas Divisions. The second phase of LG elections covering the rest of the province including Karachi and Hyderabad will take place on July 24.

The Supreme Court directed the PTI to approach the Sindh High Court (SHC) for the relief sought in the petition.