ECP orders deferral of delimitation work in Sindh

From Zeeshan Mirza

KARACHI: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday ordered suspension of delimitation of constituencies for local councils elections in Sindh.
The ECP heard a petition filed by Peoples Party’s Sindh chief Nisar Khuhro and Taj Haider in the election commission today. The election commission after hearing of the petition suspended delimitation of constituencies in the province.
The ECP had earlier issued a schedule for delimitation of constituencies for local government elections in Sindh from September 09.
The Sindh government has demanded fresh delimitation of constituencies with release of final figures of the population census. In a previous meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, it was observed, “The data of the population census is a fundamental factor for delimitation of constituencies.”
“Government publication of the population census is necessary for the delimitation process”, the ECP session concluded. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah earlier said that the process of delimitation under the law, could be initiated after approval of the census results by the Council of Common Interest (CCI).
PPP had recently said that local government elections in Sindh could not take place until a final notification of the population census, carried out in 2017, be issued. Nisar Khuhro after attending a meeting of the ECP on local government elections earlier said that the commission was informed that even carrying out delimitation of constituencies before publication of the final report of the census was unlawful.
Earlier, The Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday ordered the federal government for an early publication of the population census. A meeting of the ECP chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja considered petitions of the Government of Sindh, Pakistan People’s Party and the MQM and publication of the data of the population census and delimitation process in Sindh.
“The data of the population census is a fundamental factor for delimitation of constituencies,” it was observed in the meeting. “Government publication of the population census is necessary for the delimitation process”, the ECP session concluded.
The ECP, accepting the PPP stance over delimitation of constituencies, ordered the federal government for an early publication of the population census data. It is pertinent to mention here that Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah on Sunday said that local govt elections in the province will be held after delimitation of constituencies and the exercise of delimitation will be held after the population census. The process of delimitation under the law, could be initiated after approval of the census results by the Council of Common Interest (CCI), he said.