IHC annuls delimitation in four districts

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has annulled the delimitation of constituencies in four districts — Jhelum, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh and Lower Dir — in a verdict after completion of hearing on the petitions.

IHC Justice Aamer Farooq referred the matter to the Election Commission of Pakistan to decide on the matter.

The court also disposed of the petitions against the delimitation of Islamabad Capital Territory after the ECP representatives assured the court that the anomalies were being rectified.

According to the Delimitation of Constituencies Act, 1974, the constituencies for elections to the national and provincial assemblies are to be delimited after every census.

However, after the recent delimitation of the constituencies, 108 petitions from different constituencies were filed in the IHC. The petitioners are from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and others.

The IHC reserved its decision on the constituencies of Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Chakwal, Batgram and Haripur. The court remanded the decided cases to the ECP with a direction to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to decide the matter after hearing the stakeholders.

The court will hear 37 petitions related to 20 constituencies today.

The petitioners objected to the delimitation and claimed that the constituencies had been constituted prior to the elections on political grounds. The candidate’s objectives and stance was necessary for a constituency, they pointed out. The petitioners requested the court to set aside the current delimitation.