SC sets aside delimitation of 4 UCs in Pindi

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While setting aside a lower court order, the Supreme Court (SC) has barred the local administration for carrying out delimitation of four Union Councils (UCs) in Rawalpindi.

Earlier, the High Court had order delimitation of four UCs by the local administration, promoting the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to approach the apex court to nullify the lower court’s order.

A three-member SC bench headed by Mian Saqib Nisar while accepting the ECP plea remarked that carrying out delimitation was the job of the ECP rather than that of the local administration.

The court was told that the LHC has assigned the task of conducting delimitation of UCs to the local administration while such powers rest only with the ECP. The ECP was already carrying out the delimitation before the high court ordered to halt it, the apex court was told.

The court while disposing of ECP petition remarked the powers for conducting delimitation rest with the poll body only. The SC also sent the petition to the LHC to decide the matter as soon as possible after hearing objections of parties concerned and the matter should be disposed of till third week of November.

The court also directed registrar HC to write letter to chief justice for constitution of special bench to hear this case. If anyone has any objection he can approach HC, court ruled.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday extended polling time for local bodies’ elections in federal capital Islamabad.

The ECP has decided that the polling timings will be from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm without any interruption on 30 November.

According to ECP, the decision has been taken keeping in view voters convenience so that maximum locals can come to exercise their voting right.

The process of filing nomination papers for LG elections in Islamabad Capital Territory began on 26 October.

Scrutiny of nomination papers was conducted from the 1 to 4 November while appeals about them can be filed on the 5 and 6 of Nov. Appeals will be disposed of from the 7 to 9 Nov.

Candidates can withdraw their candidature on the 10 of Nov and final list of contesting candidates with symbols allotted to them will be published the following day.

Polling for the LG elections in Islamabad will be held on the 30 November while results will be declared on the 3 December.