The Chief Election Commissioner’s (CEC) review petition regarding the electoral delimitation of Karachi’s constituencies was admitted in the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday, as the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) withdrew its two petitions against the delimitation process.
A five-member larger bench of the apex court headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali resumed hearing in the Karachi law and order case at the Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry.
Barrister Dr Farogh A Nasim, representing the MQM, withdrew the party’s petitions submitted in the court against the delimitation of Karachi’s constituencies before a fresh census was conducted.
Giving his remarks, Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany said the court had already issued its decision over delimitation matter in Karachi.
Advocate Nasim replied that the delimitation of Karachi’s constituencies was not possible before a fresh census was conducted.
Earlier on Jan 22, CEC Justice (r) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim had categorically stated that delimitation of constituencies in Karachi before general elections was not possible and pointed out that the absence of fresh census might make it impossible to implement the Supreme Court order in this regard.
The court had observed on November 26 last year that constituencies in Karachi should be delimited in a manner that they comprise “mixed population” to avoid political polarisation and issued notice to the secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan after an ECP official submitted that the process of delimitation of constituencies in the city could not be initiated.
