The second phase of the local body elections in Sindh, scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 24, has been postponed and will now occur on August 18, a spokesperson for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) confirmed on Wednesday. Earlier, officials privy to the development had told on the condition of anonymity that the ECP, in a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, had decided to postpone the second phase of the local body polls after it received requests from the MQM-P, GDA, chief secretary Sindh, and provincial election commissioner.
Later, a press release issued by the ECP confirmed that CEC Raja had chaired a meeting where the body reviewed different applications it had received for the postponement of the second phase of the local body elections and NA-245 by-polls. The applications had requested that the polls be held after Muharram. The meeting also reviewed the reports submitted by the Met Office and provincial election commissioner. The Met Office had informed the ECP of its rain forecast in its report.