Petitioner challenges ‘illegal’ transfer of 4,000 votes to Larkana

Sindh High Court calls for reply from government officials.


Our Correspondent April 03, 2013
PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has issued notice to the provincial advocate general to file the government’s comments regarding the alleged illegal relocation of a Deh, having 4,000 voters, from the district Shikarpur to district Larkana in 2012.

Zulfiqar Ali Kamariyo, a former legislator of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, along with others have gone to the Sindh High Court against the Election Commission of Pakistan, provincial election commission, chief secretary, secretaries for revenue and local government departments, district coordination officers of Shikarpur and Larkana and others.

He said that the secretary revenue department on August 18, 2012 had issued a notification under section 6(2) of the Sindh Land Revenue Act 1976, to shift a Deh, Chang Rajujo, from the Taluka Gharhi Yahin of district Shikarpur to the Taluka Ratodero of district Larkana.



“The revenue limits of Ratodero have been reconstituted by the revenue secretary for personal and political reasons, as the move is not supported under the Sindh Local Government Ordinance - it has been done to benefit the ruling parties,” he alleged.

He claimed that the transfer had deprived the petitioners of their constitutional right to choose the members of the federal and provincial assemblies freely.

Kamariyo contended that he wanted to contest the forthcoming general elections from the provincial assembly’s seat PS-09, but his votes have been shifted to Larkana because of the transfer of Deh Chang Rajuho from Shikarpur.

“Deh Chang Rajuho comprises nine villages with around 4,000 registered voters,” he told the judges.

The petitioner maintained that the provisions of the section 6 of the 1976 Act could only be exercised when new districts, sub-divisions and tehsils are created or the entire tehsils are shifted from one district to the other. It cannot be revoked, however, in the case of only one Deh, he argued.

He pleaded to the court that since the boundaries of the union councils, provincial and national assemblies’ constituencies had already been notified and the ECP was finalising arrangements for the next general election, the official notification regarding exclusion of Deh Chang Rahujo should be nullified.



He also sought a direction for the concerned government officials, restraining them from implementing the notification in question. To support his claim, the petitioner produced a copy of the notification.

Chief Justice Mushir Alam, who headed the bench, directed the AG Sindh to take instructions from the government by the next date of hearing. The bench also directed the petitioners to file transcript of the notification and adjourned hearing for a date to be later fixed by the office.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4th, 2013.

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