KARACHI: Pakistan’s election body on Wednesday postponed local government polls in the country’s southern port city of Karachi due to “weather conditions,” a day after deferring them in nine other districts of the southern Sindh province where heavy monsoon rains have claimed 239 lives since mid-June.
The total number of casualties caused by monsoon rains throughout Pakistan since June 14 has soared to 830, including 313 children, according to official data compiled by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Much of the devastation has been witnessed in southwestern Balochistan province, where 225 have died due to torrential rains and floods, and in the southern Sindh province, where casualties have climbed to 239, officials of the meteorological department said.
“In view of the reports submitted by chief secretary Sindh, IG [inspector general] Sindh and provincial election commissioner Sindh along with the weather conditions, unavailability of law enforcement agencies during elections, problems of logistics and the overall convenience of voters, the election commission has decided to defer local government elections in Karachi division,” a spokesperson of the Election Commission of Pakistan (EPC) said in a statement.
He added that new dates for the elections would be announced once weather conditions improved.
The first phase of local government elections was held in 14 districts of Sindh in June. The second phase of the polls was scheduled to be held in the province’s Karachi and Hyderabad divisions on July 24. However, heavy downpours and subsequent urban flooding in various parts of the districts forced the ECP to postpone the polls.
The ECP had rescheduled the polls in Karachi and Hyderabad for August 28. However, on Tuesday, it decided to delay the elections in nine districts of the province.
The ECP had earlier said it would hold a meeting on Wednesday to decide about local government polls in Karachi division after reviewing various points raised by the provincial government, difficulties in conducting the polls and weather reports for the next few days.
The spokesperson said the secretary of the ECP, citing a report by DG Met Department, told a meeting in Islamabad that heavy rains were forecast in Karachi from August 24 to 26 and that it was very likely that these rains would also take place on August 27 and 28.
The director-general of the Met Office said in his report that 50,000 policemen were required for election duty, for which 16,000 personnel had to be deployed from outside Karachi, which was not possible due to floods in interior Sindh.
The provincial election commissioner said there would be logistical issues and the commission would face difficulty in transporting 63,000 polling staff to 49,000 polling stations across the city, the spokesperson added.
Pakistan’s election body postpones local polls in Karachi over ‘weather conditions’
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Pakistan’s election body postpones local polls in Karachi over ‘weather conditions’
- Sindh has reported highest number of casualties from rain-related incidents since June 14
- ECP cites unavailability of law enforcers, logistical problems as reasons to defer the polls
Pakistan urges concessional finance for developing nations to boost clean energy security
- Pakistan has emerged as one of world’s fastest growing solar markets, with 12GWs of off-grid and 6GWs of net-metered capacity in 2025
- PM’s aide says Islamabad remains committed to Paris Agreement, looks for continued support in building a resilient and low-carbon future
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has urged international partners to scale up concessional financing for developing countries, the country’s Press Information Department (PID) said on Sunday, citing an aide to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The call was made by Sharif’s coordinator on climate change, Romina Khurshid Alam, while delivering Pakistan’s national statement at the 16th International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Assembly in Abu Dhabi.
Pakistan has emerged as one of the world’s fastest growing solar markets, with 12 gigawatts (GWs) of off-grid and over 6GWs of net-metered solar capacity by the end of 2025. Last fiscal year, renewables accounted for a historic 53 percent of total electricity generation, according to Alam.
The prime minister’s aide stressed that affordable funding for developing nations is critical to accelerating their transition to clean energy and strengthening energy security amid rising climate and economic challenges.
“Alam reaffirmed Pakistan’s target of achieving 60 percent renewables in the power mix by 2030,” the PID said in a statement.
“In her call to action, she urged IRENA and Member States to increase concessional finance for developing nations, treat technologies such as energy storage and green hydrogen as global public goods, and strengthen regional cooperation for shared energy security.”
IRENA is a global intergovernmental agency for energy transformation that serves as the principal platform for international cooperation, supports countries in their energy transition, and provides state of the art data and analyzes on technology, innovation, policy, finance and investment. Its membership comprises 170 countries and the European Union (EU).
The 16th session of the IRENA Assembly is taking place on Jan. 10-12 in Abu Dhabi and focuses on the theme of “Powering Humanity: Renewable Energy for Shared Prosperity.” The session has gathered global leaders and energy decision-makers to discuss strategies and underline necessary actions for the acceleration of renewable energy across countries, regions, and the world, driving economic inclusion, equity, and human well-being.
Alam shared that Pakistan is taking action against energy poverty through initiatives like the Punjab Solar Panel Scheme 2026, which provides free or subsidized systems to low-income households.
She highlighted how distributed solar kits have restored power and livelihoods in flood-affected communities and offer a replicable model for climate-resilient recovery.
“Pakistan remains fully committed to the Paris Agreement and looks to IRENA for continued technical and financial support in building a resilient, inclusive, and low-carbon future,” Alam said.
Adopted in 2015 to combat climate change, the Paris Agreement binds nations to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”
