LAHORE, Dec 31 (DNA): PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday hit out at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the federal government for not holding the local government elections in the capital city.

By defying the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to conduct polls in Islamabad on Dec 31, the ECP had proved once again that “it was a B-team of the imported government and its patrons”.

Mr Khan, who is demanding snap elections in the country since his ouster through a no-confidence vote in April last, said the PDM was avoiding the elections as it was afraid of the public. “The right to vote is a fundamental democratic principle and the PTI stands by it wholeheartedly,” he said. Despite clear orders from the IHC to hold LG polls in the capital city on Saturday (Dec 31), the ECP failed to comply with the orders as polling process was not held.

Meanwhile, the PTI is mobilising voters to reach polling stations. A number of people gathered at polling stations in different areas, including Saidpur village, to use their right to vote but they were shocked to see that polling staff was not present there.

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).

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. DNA

====