Delimitation bill: Abbasi tasked with wooing opposition

National Assembly likely to be convened this week to take up proposed legislation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif has tasked Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi with cajoling the mainstream political parties into approving the constitutional amendment bill on delimitation of constituencies “at the earliest” so that the general elections are held on time.

Even though the National Assembly was abruptly prorogued on Monday, it is expected that the session will be called again this week to get the related bill passed.

Sharif held successive rounds of consultations with his political aides, including Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, as well as legal wizards at the Punjab House on Tuesday soon after he appeared before the accountability court in connection with a reference filed against him by the National Accountability Court (NAB) on the directions of the Supreme Court.

Sharif told PM Abbasi to take up the matter with political parties in his capacity as leader of the house in NA and head of PML-N’s parliamentary party, sources said.



Reportedly, Abbasi has been directed to ensure full attendance of the PML-N and ‘likeminded’ lawmakers during the NA session as the bill requires a two-thirds majority to pass.

Sharif is concerned over the opposition shown by political parties, the Pakistan Peoples Party in particular, regarding legislation on delimitation of constituencies in the light of Census 2017, knowledgeable quarters in the ruling campy told The Express Tribune.

The PML-N leadership believes that by opposing the delimitation bill, the PPP has played a ‘tactical’ move to pressure the government into accepting its terms.

The development comes at a time when the PML-N leadership is trying to win PPP’s support in dealing with the crisis the ruling camp is faced with. Asif Ali Zardari’s party has so far not responded to the PML-N leadership’s ‘advances.’



In the previous huddle of the parliamentary leaders held last week with NA speaker in the chair, all the political parties, including the PPP, had expressed willingness to support the delimitation bill in NA.

“Now, the sudden change in their stance means something is fishy,” says a source in the PML-N.

Still, the ruling party is hopeful that the matter would be settled. “It’s all about give and take — that’s how the political parties work,” the source said.

PML-N insiders believe the PPP leadership’s apparent reluctance to respond to the PML-N’s efforts to strike some kind of ‘reconciliation’ is part of the opposition party’s strategy to draw concessions from the ruling lot for Sindh in general and Karachi in particular.

Reportedly, the PPP leadership wants immediate removal of Inspector General Police Sindh A D Khawaja, but the federal government is reluctant to entertain Sindh government’s longstanding demand for the reason that Khawaja is largely credited for restoration of peace in Karachi in collaboration with Sindh Rangers and other security agencies.



PPP supremo Zardari is said to be ‘irked’ by the fact that his repeated efforts to have Khawaja removed from his position have borne no fruit. “This is the time… to cash in on the situation,” a PML-N source said, summing up the PPP’s policy to extract mileage from the ruling camp.

In addition, Zardari’s party also seeks federal government’s support as far as the cases against senior party leaders, including Sharjeel Inam Memon and Dr Asim, are concerned, it is further learnt. In return, the PPP would be ready to support the ruling camp at the Centre in tackling problems.

The PPP leadership also reportedly wants the lion’s share in the development funds for its MNAs from the Sindh chapter ahead of general elections.



On Monday, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah said during the session that his party had reservations over the census as the population figure in Sindh had been shown lesser than it actually is. He was of the view that as per the actual population of the province, 10 to 12 seats should have been increased.

Last week, the Election Commission of Pakistan gave the government the deadline of November 10 to provide legal cover for the election authorities to go ahead with carrying out delimitations on the provisional result of the headcount. The ECP had warned that failure to do so would result in delay in holding the general elections.

The present tenure of national and provincial assemblies expires on June 5, next year. This is likely to fuel confusion and uncertainty about the fate of the general elections if the related legislation is not carried out.