ISLAMABAD: The nine-member working group a special committee on Delimitation of Constituencies of National Assembly on Saturday rejected the delimitation of new constituencies by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and recommended holding the elections on the basis of the previous delimitation.
The meeting recommended constituting a federal inquiry commission, through a presidential ordinance, to probe as to who made delimitation of new constituencies.
The draft proposal has been shared with the members of the committee. Members sought time for having perusal of the recommendations.
Daniyal Aziz said the committee did not want to interfere in the affairs of ECP. The committee did not want a delay in the elections.
After raising of questions, the officials of ECP and statistics division had avoided to attend the meeting of the committee.
Moreover, the committee recommended to amend the Act 20 of the ECP.
The meeting recommended introducing a new constitutional amendment for holding the next general elections on the basis of old constituencies by withdrawing the constitutional amendment of holding the elections on the basis of provisional census results.
The committee recommended to approach the Supreme Court to take suo motu notice of public interest issue under Article 184.
The meeting pointed out that the rules have been violated while making delimitation of constituencies. The relevant rules have been violated during the delimitation of 15 National Assembly constituencies and 121 Provincial Assembly constituencies of Sindh, rules have been violated in the delimitation of 18 NA constituencies and 88 Provincial Assembly constituencies of KPK.
The rules have been violated in the delimitation of three NA constituencies and 10 PA constituencies of Balochistan. Likewise, same violations have been committed in delimitation of 12 NA constituencies of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), it added.
The committee observed that the maps provided by the ECP were ambiguous and in pathetic condition.
The working group includes Danial Aziz, Arif Alvi, Naveed Qamar, S Iqbal Qadri, Naeema Kishwer, Tariqullah, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Ghous Bakhsh Mehr and Shahji Gul Afridi.
On March 5, the ECP issued initial delimitation of national and provincial assemblies on the basis of the population census carried out late last year.
The initial delimitation issued by ECP has maintained 272 general seats in the national assembly, with Sindh’s general seats remaining unchanged at 61 and FATA’s at 12.
However, the ECP reduced the number of general seats in Punjab by seven to 141 and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s by four. Balochistan’s general seats were also reduced by two while Islamabad saw an increase of a seat.
Punjab would now have 141 general seats, Sindh 61, KP will have 39, Balochistan 16, FATA 12 and Islamabad will have 3.
The ECP had said that any reservations could be brought to the commission until April 3, 2018.
