So far, SHC finds nothing wrong with the timing of delimitation of constituencies

Hearing of plea against redrawing of electoral boundaries in Karachi continues.


Our Correspondent April 02, 2013
File photo of the Sindh High Court. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: Justice Maqbool Baqir feels the lapse of two hours between the announcement of the general elections schedule and the notification on the redrawing of a few electoral boundaries in Karachi won’t affect any election campaigns.

He said this on Tuesday during the hearing of two similar petitions filed by the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) opposing the way the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had decided to tweak electoral boundaries in the city.

On March 22 the commission had issued a notification regarding delimitation of three national assembly and eight provincial constituencies in Karachi. But both PPP and MQM opposed the decision, eventually going to court to have the order cancelled.

One of MQM’s main contentions was that the electoral boundaries had been redrawn without a fresh census in Karachi. Its other reservation was that the process was set in motion after the general election schedule had been announced. PPP leader Qadir Patel had also challenged delimitation of NA-230, saying the ECP had included three defunct union councils of Baldia Town and two of Keamari Town in the constituency, without providing any justification.



During the last hearing, the commission had opposed the petitions, saying the constituencies were redrawn in accordance with the law and on the apex court’s instructions. It added that the ship had set sail for further adjustment of electoral boundaries, given the elections are just around the corner. On Tuesday MQM’s lawyer, Barrister Farogh Naseem, argued that the apex court had passed the order for delimitation on February 22. But ECP issued notifications on two separate issues - one on the redrawing of electoral boundaries and the other on the schedule of the general elections - on March 22, within the lapse of just hours. “Once the election schedule is announced no constituency can be delimited.”

Justice Baqir said such restriction has been imposed to make sure that election campaigns are not affected by the process of redrawing boundaries. “Since there is a difference of only one hour in issuance of the notifications, there can be no apprehension that this would affect election campaigns,” said the judge.

But then Barrister Naseem contended that the National Assembly had been dissolved on March 16 and elections are supposed to be held within two months after this. Thus, the day the National Assembly was dissolved should be considered the point at which the election schedule was apparent.  Although the judges were not satisfied with this argument, they directed the lawyer to develop his argument on this point by Wednesday (today) and adjourned hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3rd, 2013.

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