Punjab delimitation exercise to start from Dec 16

ECP plans to hold LG polls in province in April next year

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday notified the schedule for the delimitation of constituencies for the local government elections in Punjab.

According to the ECP’s notification, administrative arrangements, including procurement of maps, fresh notification of demarcations, provision of various maps, as well as appointments and training of delimitation committees and delimitation authorities would be completed by December 15, 2022.

The process of the delimitation of constituencies would start on December 16 and would be completed within 60 days; the final list of constituencies would be published on Feb 12, 2023, the notification added.

According to the ECP schedule, the committees would complete the preliminary list of constituencies by Jan 6, 2023.

Subsequently, the ECP said, the preliminary publication of the delimitation would be completed by Jan 7, 2023.

The notification stated that from Jan 9 to 23, voters could file objections before the delimitation authority, adding that the objections would be disposed of by the delimitation authorities from Jan 9 to Feb 3.

After the completion of various stages, a final list of the constituencies would be published on Feb 12, 2023.

It is for the third time that the ECP is going to delimit constituencies in the province.

Earlier this month, the ECP announced to hold the long-delayed local bodies elections in Punjab in April 2023.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja. The meeting was briefed that the top election body had to delimit the constituencies for the third time.