Councillors reject ECP’s demarcation

Councillors demanded new demarcation for provincial capital Quetta

QUETTA:

Former local government councillors of Quetta have rejected the new demarcation of constituencies for local body polls by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Quetta. They vowed that they will not allow any bureaucrat to make new constituencies of his own accord.

While addressing a press conference at Quetta Press Club (QPC) they demanded delimitation of constituencies on the basis of merit. They said that new constituencies were very large or very small.

Councillors demanded the cancellation of newly established constituencies and demanded new demarcation for provincial capital Quetta.

They presented a list of demands and warned to challenge the Local Government Act 2010 in the court. They said that a future course of action will be announced if demands are not met by the government.

They insisted that constituencies should be marked for a population of 10 to 15 thousand and the demarcation powers should be transferred to Metropolitan Corporations and District Councils who have extensive knowledge of the city.

“Around 61 constituencies have been formed instead of 58 in the district, with a maximum population of 23,000 and a minimum of 15,000 per constituency,” they said.

They asked the nine Members of Provincial Assembly (MPA), elected from Quetta district, to play their role in solving the issue and urged them to take councillors into confidence.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2022.