SC sets three days for ECP strategy on delimitation of constituencies

The Supreme Court on Wednesday approved the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) strategy with regards to complying with apex court’s order on delimitation of constituencies in Karachi.
The apex court, which deems delimitation a remedy to “political polarisation” in the violence-hit city, directed the ECP to report back within three days.
Headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, the five-member bench also barred the Sindh Board of Revenue (BoR) from allotting or transferring any government land until complete retrieval of the record burnt in the post-December 27, 2007 violence.
The larger bench, comprising Justices Khilji Arif Hussain, Sarmad Jalal Osmany, Amir Hani Muslim and Muhammad Ather Saeed, decreed this while hearing a case related to the implementation the Supreme Court’s October 6, 2011 order with regard to its suo motu action on the law and order in the city. Earlier, ECP Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan told the court that the commission had devised a strategy to hold separate meetings with stakeholders.
He said the ECP would first hold internal meetings, then with relevant provincial departments, including that of the chief secretary, BoR and law enforcement agencies. Lastly, Khan said political stakeholders represented in the city would be taken on board on the delimitation process.
“In next two to three months, we would delimit constituencies in line with the court’s order,” the secretary said. Justifying delay in the implementation of the court’s earlier order, Ahmed said the first step for delimitation was census that the provincial government did not carry out.
The bench also asked BoR officials how they had been allotting and transferring government lands in the absence of documentary record that was destroyed in violence following Benazir Bhutto’s murder on December 27, 2007.
Shah Zar Shamoon, senior member BoR, told the court that assistant commissioners had been deputed as inquiry officers to deal with the allotment-related issues.
He said record of 800 dehs’ had been reduced to ashes in violence on day of Benazir’s assassination. “Almost 72 percent of the record has been retained,” he said. The BoR official later told reporters that the judges were not satisfied with his report.
The larger bench ordered the BoR officials not to allot any public land until complete rewriting of the record. The bench also asked for record of the land transferred since December 27, 2007.
The day also saw Sindh Rangers DG Maj General Rizwan Akhtar and Sindh IG Fayyaz Leghari appearing before the court. Akhtar briefed the bench and presented a report pertaining to the suspects arrested in the city since November 1. The bench returned the report with certain objections.
Justice Khilji Arif Hussain remarked that the Rangers and police should tell the court why sophisticated weapons like rocket launchers were present in the city.
The Rangers DG complained of staff shortage when the bench ordered Rangers to set up its own police stations in the city. “It seems the Rangers do not trust the police,” said Justice Hani. Justice Hani also slammed the government for not prioritizing the increase of police strength to ensure an improved law and order, a prerequisite for economic growth. The hearing was later adjourned until November 30.