‘Elections likely to be held on old census data’

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has said that the general elections would possibly be held on the old census data, ARY News reported on Friday.

In a statement, Ahsan Iqbal reiterated that elections will be held at its prescribed time and the prime minister already gave the statement about the election commission’s responsibility to finalise the schedule of the polls.

He added that the general elections would possibly be held on old census data. Iqbal was of the view that delimitations are still pending after the new population census. “If elections are held in October, then it will be conducted on old census data.”

The planning minister said that the authorities found anomalies in the population count of some areas in the recent census. On the request of the province, the federal government extended the census deadline, he added.

Ahsan Iqbal said that it would not be possible to issue census results in accordance with the new election schedule.

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The federal minister said that a two-thirds majority is required for a constitutional amendment. He said that the country needs reforms but they cannot be introduced with a weak mandate.

Last month, Ahsan Iqbal said that Nawaz Sharif will come back to Pakistan.

Ahsan Iqbal said that cases were made against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif through a conspiracy but the legal team is working to get justice for the PML-N supremo.

The federal minister maintained that election will be held on time and PML-N will come out victorious as it did in 2013.

He added that in 2018 the journey towards development was stopped through a conspiracy and the politics of hatred was started in Pakistan.

Ahsan Iqbal said that Pakistan is currently stuck in debt and the government has to accept every condition of the IMF.