KARACHI: After a court dismissed a request from major political parties to postpone local government elections in Sindh last week, nearly 10 million people are expected to vote for their preferred candidates in fourteen districts of the southeastern province on Sunday.
Elections in other districts, including Karachi and Hyderabad, will be held in the second phase that is scheduled to take place on July 24.
The local government elections are taking place with a two-year gap after several protests and legal battles.
According to a statement issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), 8,724 polling stations have been established in 14 districts of the province where more than 10.14 million registered voters are expected to participate in the exercise.
The election regulatory authority has also declared 1,985 polling stations as most sensitive, 3,448 as sensitive, and 3,291 as normal. As per the information by the ECP, 26,545 Sindh police personnel have been deployed to ensure peaceful elections. Additionally, 2,980 police and paramilitary rangers have been deployed at highly sensitive polling stations.
“The election commission has instructed the provincial administration of Sindh to ensure peaceful voting process by bringing in security personnel from other districts and deploying them where elections are taking place,” said Saeed Soomro, the ECP spokesperson in the province.
He added the election commission was also in touch with the army and rangers who had ensured it of their full cooperation.
The local government elections were delayed in the province after the federal government failed to publish results of the 2017 census, halting the delimitation process which was one of the requirements for the electoral contest.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had gone to the Sindh High Court with a plea to defer elections, saying it was important to make changes to the local government act and carry out a fresh delimitation process.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf also became party to the case and sought election postponement.
The court was informed that the provincial government had already submitted its statement before the court and all political parties had agreed to postpone these polls until the enactment of local government laws in line with Article 140-A of the constitution.
The court dismissed the petition and ordered to hold elections on scheduled time.
Millions of people expected to vote as Sindh holds local government polls in 14 districts
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Millions of people expected to vote as Sindh holds local government polls in 14 districts
- Elections are held after the Sindh High Court dismissed a petition seeking their postponement by political parties
- Local government polls are taking place in the province with two-year gap after several protests and legal battles
Pakistan business group presses for corporate tax rationalization in IMF talks
- Pakistan Business Council calls for abolition of super tax, phased corporate rate cut to 25%
- PM Sharif has said government is considering reduction in direct taxes in upcoming budget
KARACHI: Pakistan’s business policy advocacy group urged the government to rationalize corporate tax rates during talks with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation on Saturday, arguing such a step would be critical to shifting the economy from stabilization to export-led growth.
The Pakistan Business Council (PBC), which represents many of the country’s largest private-sector companies, said the current tax structure places a disproportionate burden on documented and compliant enterprises.
The engagement follows the arrival of an IMF staff mission in Pakistan earlier this week to begin review talks that will determine the release of the next tranche under the country’s $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the $1.4 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).
The team is expected to start formal negotiations next week, discussions seen as critical to sustaining Pakistan’s fragile economic recovery and maintaining external financing stability.
“Stabilization has provided breathing space,” PBC Chairperson Dr. Zeelaf Munir said according to a statement after the meeting with the IMF delegation headed by mission chief Iva Petrova. “The priority now is institutionalizing growth.”
“A competitive and equitable tax framework, predictable energy pricing and policy consistency are essential to expand exports, attract investment and generate employment at scale,” she continued. “The private sector stands ready to deploy capital where reform signals remain clear and credible.”
In its presentation to the Fund team, the PBC called for the abolition of the super tax, an additional levy imposed in recent years on high-earning companies and individuals to shore up revenues, in all its forms. It also demanded a phased reduction of the corporate tax rate to 25%, and rationalization of advance and withholding tax regimes that businesses say function as de facto minimum taxes.
The PBC urged the broadening of the tax base through stronger enforcement to bring untaxed sectors into the net, rather than increasing the burden on existing taxpayers.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said earlier this week on Wednesday the government was considering reducing direct taxes in the upcoming federal budget to support businesses, while maintaining that indirect taxes collected from consumers must be properly deposited into the national exchequer.
The IMF review discussions with the Pakistani authorities are expected to focus on fiscal consolidation, monetary policy, structural reforms and climate-related benchmarks tied to the RSF program, as Islamabad seeks to secure continued external financing and strengthen macroeconomic stability.
