SC returns PTI’s delimitation plea with reservations

Says the party did not approach relevant forum

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court has returned with reservations PTI’s petition to halt new delimitation of constituencies across the country.

The application, which was returned by the apex court registrar, stated that the applicant had not approached the relevant forum.

It was said that the application had been filed in the top court directly whereas that the applicant had the relevant forum for redressal of their grievance. Meanwhile, as required by the law, relevant certificates were also not affixed with the application.

The PTI on Tuesday had moved the top court seeking a declaration that the delimitation schedule announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on April 11 was “illegal’ and ‘unconstitutional”.

The petition also requested the SC to order the election supervisor and secretary to ensure the upcoming electoral process is in accordance with law and the Constitution and is carried out without wasting any time or creating delay.

The application contended that the endeavour by the ECP to carry out new delimitation of provincial and national constituencies across the country and the subsequent schedule it issued amounted to departure of Article 51(5).

As the delimitation exercise conducted in 2018 on the command of the Constitution has to be considered final till the new census takes place, therefore, the ECP is bound to hold elections on the basis of delimitation conducted previously, the petition said.