Kotli Sattian delimitation: ECP directed to decide issue in two weeks

RAWALPINDI:

The Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench has directed the Rawalpindi district election commissioner to decide the delimitation of six union councils (UCs) in Kotli Sattian tehsil within two weeks.

Locals had challenged the election commission’s new delimitation scheme which had reduced the number of UCs by merging six UCs with others. The affected UCs are: Lehtrar, Bahttian, Malot Sattian, Dharnoian, Krore, and Dhirkot.

On October 8, the high court set aside the new delimitation of union councils. The court had ordered the ECP to carry out the delimitation process afresh and announce a new schedule for the local government elections for the union councils in question. The ECP, however, challenged the high court’s order in the Supreme Court on November 23.

Due to pending court cases, the local government elections could not be held in tehsil and some union councils of Muree on December 5.

In total, local government elections could not be held in 18 UCs in Rawalpindi, due to court orders in 16 and death of candidates in two. Apart from this, seven wards of municipal committees were also left out of the polling process.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 8^th, 2015.