Census commissioner argued that the government was not obliged to conduct a population and housing census every 10 years.
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) reserved on Monday its order on petitions filed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) against the delimitation of some constituencies in Karachi.
Headed by Justice Maqbool Baqir, the bench reserved its verdict after hearing the final arguments from the Election Commissioner of Pakistan, the census commission and lawyers of both political parties.
On March 22, the election commission issued a notice regarding the delimitation of three National Assembly and eight provincial constituencies in Karachi. This did not sit well with PPP and MQM, who eventually took the matter to court in order to have the move reversed.
In his concluding arguments, MQM’s lawyer, Barrister Farogh Naseem, argued that the electoral boundaries had been redrawn without conducting a fresh census in Karachi. The counsel said MQM’s second point of contention was that the process was set in motion after the schedule for the general elections had been announced. He said both factors make the commission’s move to redraw electoral boundaries unlawful and pleaded the court to cancel ECP’s notification.
PPP leader Qadir Patel had also challenged the 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. He also pleaded the court to declare the delimitation as an unconstitutional move.
ECP’s take on the matter
The election commission had opposed the pleas, arguing that after the Supreme Court’s order, a committee was formed to look into the matter of drawing up electoral boundaries. It had decided that the delimitation of constituencies should be done before the schedule of the general election was announced.
ECP said the process of general elections started when the schedule was announced on March 22, not when the National Assembly was dissolved on March 17. Therefore, its notification on the electoral boundaries on March 22 was not against the Constitution.
Census commissioner
The census commissioner also opposed the pleas, arguing that the population and housing census was a decennial activity across the world. But under the prevailing law, the government was not obliged to conduct a population and housing census in the country every 10 years. On Monday, the bench reserved its order after hearing the final arguments.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 9th, 2013.
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@Saleem, for your kind info that "Political party" was actually under ground and boycotted the 2002 elections when the boundaries were drawn, infact JI got more seats due to the boycott and new boundaries. Do some research before writing, it would not hurt. Also come out of MQM phobia and hatred.
These boundaries were drawn by Musharaf on behest of a political party to help them out so what this fuss all about? Rather than crying all the time accept realities and move on.