Karachi’s electoral map: Nawaz supports delimitation of constituencies

Nawaz lashes out at controversial new Sindh local government act, says it has divided the province into two parts.

LAHORE:

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif has supported the Supreme Court directives on the delimitation of constituencies in Karachi, saying it is possible as it had been done in the past after dissolving the assemblies.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has reacted strongly to the move with its chief Altaf Hussain saying that the apex court does not have the authority to say that constituencies should be formed in such a way that a single-party’s majority does not exist.

Speaking to journalists following a meeting of PML-N’s Sindh chapter at Raiwind on Wednesday, Nawaz also expressed serious concerns at the fluid security situation in Karachi. “The Supreme Court has said that armed wings of political parties were responsible for the unrest,” he said and regretted that the government has not taken any action.

Nawaz also lashed out at the controversial new Sindh local government act saying it has divided the province into two parts. Nationalist parties of Sindh have already rejected the new law saying that it was introduced to please a single party.

Fresh off a strong showing in by-election in Punjab, the PML-N chief also outlined his party’s roadmap for Sindh. He listed the major issues facing the province and vowed to address them on a priority basis if his party is voted to power in the upcoming parliamentary election.

Regarding the Lahore High Court verdict on Kalabagh Dam, he reiterated the party’s stance that it should not be constructed without evolving a consensus among federating units. The PML-N wants the kind of consensus the government evolved on the Water Accord in 1991.

At the meeting, Nawaz constituted a high-level committee, comprising PML-N’s Sindh chapter President Ghous Ali Shah, Amir Bux Bhutto and Shah Muhammad Shah among others, to negotiate with Sindhi nationalist parties regarding seat adjustments. The committee will particularly look into making an alliance with the late GM Syed’s party. The PML-N chief also addressed the grievances of the party’s Sindh chapter.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2012.