KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, on Thursday lashed out at Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for last-minute postponement of local bodies’ elections in Sindh.

“Deferment of local government elections in 81 Union Councils of Sindh in last minutes is a conspiracy to deprive PPP of public support,” said Zardari, who is also former President of Pakistan, in a statement.

“This decision is an attempt to save political orphans from defeat,” Zardari said. “It was People Party that made election commission an autonomous institution… but now the commission’s reigns are in hands of someone else,” he claimed.

Zardari’s statement followed ECP Secretary’s announcement that second phase municipal elections would not be held in 81 Union Councils (UCs) of Sindh on Thursday.

Polling continued today in 14 districts of Sindh and 12 of Punjab amid tight security arrangements and sporadic incidents of violence. DNA