ECP gets census data for fresh delimitation

PBS says data includes digitised maps of 185,514 blocks, circles and charges

ISLAMABAD:

In a major headway towards fresh delimitation of the electoral constituencies, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) provided the required data of the digital census, 2023, to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday.

The PBC said that the data included gazette notification of census charges, circles and blocks, colour prints of digitised maps of 185,514 blocks, circles and charges, except Sindh, and block-wise census data. It added that the colour prints of the digitised maps of Sindh will be provided by Wednesday (today).

The digital census was conducted in March-May this year. The results were published after their approval from the Council of Common Interest (CCI) on August 5, 2023, just days before the dissolution of the National Assembly.

Following the approval of the census, the ECP is bound to conduct the coming general elections on the basis of the latest census. In this regard, the polls supervisor has already announced schedule for revamping the constituencies.

The census data plays a very important role in revamping electoral constituencies. In this regard, the PBS was asked to provide the relevant information to the ECP. The PBS said that all the required information was successfully handed over to the ECP by Chief Census Commissioner Dr Naeemul Zafar.

The ECP announced on August 17 that it would revamp all the national and provincial assemblies constituencies in light of the digital census within 120 days. It had said that the delimitation work had been started immediately.

Initiating delimitation work, the ECP froze all the old constituencies. It said that a preliminary list of constituencies would be published on Oct 9, to invite objections to it from Oct 10 to Nov 8. The objections would be decided by Dec 9 and the final list of constituencies would be published on Dec 14.

The ECP has not yet announced the election date. As per the 90-day constitutional timeframe, according to an ECP official, the polls supervisor had until September 12 to give a date. The official added that this date could be extended until September 20.