Local bodies polls: Commissioner seconds decision to increase number of union councils

Opposition cries foul, threatens to challenge move.

RAWALPINDI:

Faced with a litany of complaints from potential candidates and residents from several union councils across the district on Saturday, the Rawalpindi commissioner defended the recent delimitation as the “right move,” according to officials of the District Coordination Office. However, opposition parties, especially the Awami Muslim League and Jamaat-i-Islami, have decided to take challenge the decision in court.

An official, requesting anonymity, said Commissioner Khalid Masood Chaudhry seconded the decision to increase the number of union councils (UCs) in Rawal Town from 46 to 55 and said local government elections would be held after demarcation. The commissioner further divided each UC into six wards. However, when contacted, the commissioner said the DCO had heard the complaints, but had yet to decide on the new delimitations. However, DCO Sajid Zafar Dall could not be reached for comment.

Potential candidates who were present at the Potohar Council Hall reportedly accepted the DCO’s decision to maintaining the number of new UCs. Similarly, the number of union councils in Potohar have also been increased from 36 to 38.

The new councils include UC 13 Dhoke Noor, UC 19 Dhoke Khilo, UC 21 Chistia, UC 24 Commercial Centre, UC 28 Bilal Colony, UC 4 Rajan Nagar, UC 44 Safdar Abad, UC 46 Ikal Garh and UC 54 Ariya Mohalla.

Voter strength in the new UCs is around 5,000 to 12,000 while the former UCs which numbered 46 had 15,000 to 20,000 voters. UC 5 has the largest number of voters, 20,836, as compared to the newly demarcated UC Ganjmandi where there are only 7,127 voters.

The opposition parties complained that the new UCs were made to benefit the ruling party. Talking to The Express Tribune, Sheikh Rashid Safique, nephew of Sheikh Rasheed, said the ruling party wants to win the upcoming local bodies elections through unfair means. “The delimitation is unjust and illogical and will only favour the ruling party,” he said, adding that a decision on taking the case to court again would be taken after consultation with party leaders.

Jamaat-e-Islami District President Sajjad Abbasi said the delimitation was undertaken in haste just to favour Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). “Locals were not taken into confidence nor were leaders of opposition parties. If the district government does not implement the court order we will file a case,” he said.  The opposition parties had filed a petition in the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, urging the court to nullify the delimitation, stating it was a bid to favour PML-N. The court had asked the district government to review the decision and ordered new delimitations.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2013.