The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday rejected a review petition filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding the electoral delimitation of Karachi’s constituencies.
A larger bench of the Supreme Court led by Justice Anwer Zaheer Jamali resumed the hearing of the Karachi law and order suo motu implementation case at the apex court’s Karachi registry.
Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali said that the delimitation of constituencies had nothing to do with census, adding that census was required to increase or decrease the number of National Assembly or provincial assemblies’ seats.
Justice Khilji Arif Hussain said that it was the ECP’s responsibility to ensure that transparent elections were conducted.
The court remarked that the Election Commission secretary and the Sindh chief secretary had already assured of implementation of the courts directives.
The court said it had clearly ordered for delimitation of constituencies, while Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali told the ECP lawyer that it was incumbent upon the electoral body to comply with the SC orders. However, the court said it was another issue whether the task was possible or not.
During the hearing, the ECP’s counsel said that elections might be postponed due to the delimitation of constituencies.
“We won’t allow you even in a dream to utter anything about delaying elections,” Justice Khilji Arif Hussain told the lawyer.