IHC sets aside delimitation of two NA constituencies

Orders ECP to re-draw NA-35, NA-36 constituencies after hearing all parties again

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court on Friday set aside the delimitation of two National Assembly constituencies – NA-35 Kohat and NA-36 Hangu and Kazai – while it rejected Chaudhry Nisar's petition against that of the NA-53 and PP-10 constituencies.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq while pronouncing a reserved decision on the petitions said that the Election Commission should re-draw NA-35 and NA-36 constituencies after hearing all the parties again.

In the judgment, the court said that the Election Commission should listen to the position of the petitioner and take a firm decision.

Barrister Umar Ejaz Gilani had taken the stand that according to the law the population of all constituencies should be equal.

The petitioner's position was that, for example, the population of Kohat constituency was more than 300,000 than that of Hangu constituency.

The petitioner was of the opinion that the Election Commission's new constituencies undermined the right to vote of the people of the area.

The court rejected former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar's petition against the delimitation of NA-53 and PP-10 constituencies. Sheikh Sajidur Rahman had filed a petition against the delimitation of NA-53 constituency.