KARACHI: The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) filed an application in the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the Election Commission’s notification for redrawing electoral constituencies in Karachi, Express News reported on Monday.
The court admitted the application for hearing.
While speaking to media after filing the request, MQM Deputy Convenor Farooq Sattar said the people of Karachi were being punished - through the delimitation order – for supporting MQM.
He further claimed that the order was aimed at dividing the party’s vote bank in the city.
Barrister Farogh Naseem represented the petitioner Farooq Sattar and argued that delimitation cannot be done unless fresh census is conducted. Delimitation, done to create equality in the constituencies, is not possible without fresh census.
The Supreme court ordered delimitation in October and if the ECP wanted to accomplish the task then they should have carried out fresh consensus and then delimitation, Farogh further said.
Later during the day, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the secretary Federal Statistics Division, Chief Statistician, Provincial Census Commissioner and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in reference to the petition filed by the MQM.
Delimitation
According to the ECP notification, three constituencies of National Assembly and eight constituencies of the Provincial Assembly will be subject to delimitation.
These include NA 239 (won by Abdul Qadir Patel of PPPP), NA250 (won by Khushbakht Shujaat of MQM), and NA254 (won by Dr Muhammad Ayub Sheikh of MQM). The provincial assembly constituencies are PS89, PS112, PS113, PS114, PS116, PS118 and PS124.
The commission has set up a five-member committee to implement the Supreme Court orders for delimitations in Karachi. According to the sources, Justice (r) Roshan Esani will head the committee.
COMMENTS (13)
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ECP, we the people of Karachi thank you.
@naeem khan Manhattan being afraid is one thing, and asking JUSTICE and EQUAL TREATMENT is another. you have put many judgemental remarks about some one you might dont know.
ECP cant even check degree of PMLn, they cant even set standards about corruptions.. and you want them to do de-limitations? that de-limitation would benefit PMLn- JI only.
JI had my city mandate before, but they only used it to recruit for Kasmir jihad, and served for nothing. Ask anybody-Jamait tuliba Pakistan was the first to introduce AK47 culture in karachi and they are the first to open fire in KARACHI UNIVERSITY.
according to you, ONLY bashing MQM is the way to go... so i will tell you right now... My city will give mandate to MQM again- no matter what the hack you say....
Why are they so afraid of Delimitation, they have done things in their favour for decades and now that the nation is seeing the injustice to other ethnic people in the Karachi area. MQM is up in arms. Pakistan has an independent ECP and they are asserting themselves and they should to stop this fraud and bogus voting. Stay the ground ECP because you are directed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and you have the support of the people and the courts.Mohajirs are not the only people living in Karachi and Sindh.
so even going to court is controversial now? what you do is always right...and if i move a stone is wrong. what a bigotry of such people. delimit karachi because some parties want it, who had 3% to 0% mandate of karachi. dont care, dont listen for the party that have 85% mandate. Each time, election claims around 100 lives in all over pakistan, but not in karachi. last election claimed 56 people, not a single one in karachi.
so if i am confident then why not have a delimit done? its not about confidence or claims anymore. its about principles, discrimination, biased behaviour...
delimit all pakistan or no-delimit of karachi. your choice.
@Karachiti Yesss Why Only Karachi Big Question Mark ???
If this delimitation was free and fair, we wouldn't have Qayoomabad, a part of Karachi supporting a certain Punjab based party be forcibly made a part of NA-250, already the largest seat in Karachi
Why only Karachi.....???
@Rizwan Ali: PTI won't pick a fight with MQM .
IK was launched to destru PML N - he is not bothered about anything else.
Why aren't constituencies in the rest of the country being redrawn as well? Why is Karachi subject to this special honor in the absence of a census?
So the popularity claims were all hollow?
PTI should come out on the road to support and show solidarity with ECP's notification of redrawing constituencies.
It is still one man one vote. Why MQM is objecting if they are not purely an ethnic based party .MQM should serve and ask for vote from all.
If the petition is not entertained, Karachites prepare for the 'Namalum Afrad' coming out and shutting the city.