Balochistan PA wants census first, poll later

Balochistan Assembly urges ECP to delay polls anticipating major changes in constituencies after digital census

QUETTA:

The Balochistan Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution, asking the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to not hold general elections in the country until the completion of the upcoming digital census in the country.

Parliamentary Secretary for law and Parliamentary Affairs Dr Rubaba Khan Buledi moved the resolution in the assembly session, chaired by acting speaker Sardar Babar khan Musakhail.

Buledi said that the upcoming digital census was being launched throughout the country from March 1. “Until the completion of the digital census process the general election would not be possible,” she added.

“This house of the Balochistan Assembly recommended to the Election Commission of Pakistan to withhold the holding of the general election in the country till the process of the digital census is not completed in the country,” the resolution said.

Buledi stressed that constituencies of all the assembly would be re-demarcated on the basis of the population census, adding that on the bases of the updated data, the representation in the National and provincial assemblies could be changed.

"Without having the result of the digital census, the holding of general elections will be useless,” she said. The chair put the resolution for the voting, and the entire house supported it.