Karachi April 21, 2021 The Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have expressed opposing views on whether the April 29 by-poll in the NA-249 constituency should be postponed. In a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan, the Sindh government has requested postponement of the NA-249 by-election until the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic subsides. The government has said most of the cities in Pakistan are reporting a high ratio of positive cases and fatalities due to the virus. “The [Covid-19 infection] cases in Karachi and Hyderabad have started rising. The daily situation reports of last week show a remarkable increase in positivity percentage rising from three per cent to three per cent,” says the letter. “The electoral campaign, gatherings, corner meetings and processions will definitely aggravate the situation.”