Pakistan

For fresh delimitation: Court issues notice to poll body on PTI petition

The authority has ignored the fact that funds would be distributed on equal basis between the union councils

Our Correspondent October 19, 2015

PHOTO: IHC WEBSITE

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court on Monday issued notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan and other respondents on a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), urging the court to issue directions for conducting fresh delimitation of UCs in Islamabad.

A division bench comprising Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi and Justice Aamer Farooq issued notice to ECP for the next hearing scheduled for Oct 21.

Challenging an order of the delimitation authority of the ICT, petitioner Saifullah Sarwar, PTI’s additional central organiser, has requested the court to set aside the delimitation orders of October 10, claiming they are illegal.

He has cited the Islamabad election commission, the delimitation authority, and the district election commissioner and the delimitation officer Aleem Shahab as respondents.

The petition accuses the delimitation officer of putting forward the worst example of nepotism, favouritism and gerrymandering in clear violation of Section 7 of the ICT Local Government Act 2015 to give undue advantage to the ruling PML-Nawaz.

Section 7 says the population of union councils shall be uniform, Sarwar said, adding at present, there were some union councils with less than 5,000 voters, while others had over 5,000 voters.

The authority has ignored the fact that funds would be distributed on equal basis between the union councils, he has stated.

In addition, some areas have no nexus, as the localities are at great distances from each other, Sarwar maintains.

LG act challenged

Meanwhile, the IHC asked on Monday the attorney general to assist the court in identical petitions challenging the upcoming LG polls and a separate plea concerning the ICT LG Act 2015.

Petitioners through their counsel, Shafqat Abbasi said Article 140-A of the Constitution did not empower Parliament to legislate LG laws for conducting elections in the capital as the article only deals with legislation for provinces.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2015.