Protests and dharnas will not affect delimitation plans: Sharjeel Memon

Local government elections being held on a party-basis for the first time, Memon says.

KARACHI: Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said on Sunday that it is not right to politicise the matter of delimitation, and that protesting and staging dharnas will not effect change in the delimitation of constituencies in Sindh, Express News reported.

The minister was responding to Muttahida Qaumi Movement's protest rally against Sindh government's delimitation designs ahead of local government elections in January.

MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi had said that the party refused to accept such a "maimed and mutilated" local government for Sindh.

Memon responded by saying that local government elections were being held on a party-basis for the first time. Constituencies had been delimited in Karachi just like areas all over Pakistan have been, and that's not going to change with rallies, he argued.

Memon claimed the impression that the provincial government had formed union committees on tiny populations which didn't warrant committees.

He said Liaquatabad had a population of 20, 000 whereas Five Star had a population of 8, 361 people.

He said MQM's objections against delimitation were right in the case of certain areas, but the government has always been engaged in negotiations with the party and will continue to do so in the future.