ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday cancelled the delimitation of four National Assembly constituencies, while reserving its verdict on five others.
Justice Umar Farooq declared void delimitations of a constituency each in Jhang, Jhelum, Toba Tek Singh, and Lower Dir.
The verdict on delimitation of a constituency each in Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Chakwal, Battagram, and Haripur was reserved.
The court was hearing 40 of the 108 petitions lodged against delimitations by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members.
The court ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hear all objections on the four constituencies and to carry out the delimitations process afresh.
On Wednesday (today), the court will hear 37 petitions against delimitation of 20 more constituencies.
During the hearing on Tuesday, the court ruled that the population proportion must be considered in new delimitations.
According to the petitioners delimitations had been done without paying any attention to rules.
The ECP has been under criticism from political circles on the issue of delimitations. A committee of the National Assembly (NA) has expressed its displeasure at the non-transparency of the exercise. The ECP follows a set formula for the number of provincial and NA seats that a district is allotted. According to the Delimitation of Constituencies Act, 1974, the constituencies for elections to the National and Provincial Assemblies have to be redrawn after every census. After the delimitation of constituencies following last year’s census, 108 petitions against the delimitation of different constituencies have been filed in the IHC alone.
Published in Daily Times, May 30th 2018.