KARACHI: The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) has challenged the delimitation of constituencies in Karachi in the Sindh High Court (SHC), saying legal procedures in the delimitation have not been followed.
A petition was filed in the SCH in this regard by the MQM’s leader Farooq Sattar through his counsel Farogh Naseem.
Talking to media representatives outside the provincial court, the MQM leader said that his party objected to the delimitation because legal procedures were not followed. He further stated that the delimitation was unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, Farogh Naseem told media while explaining MQM’s reservations, Naseem that the case against the delimitation was very strong and it will be easy to strike it down.
Farogh Naseem stressed that the delimitation was done on the basis of estimated population while law dictates that the census of 1998 should have been followed.
The delimitation of constituencies is being held across Sindh for the upcoming local bodies elections.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had to delay announcement of local bodies elections schedule in Sindh because the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led provincial government failed to submit the prerequisites by the deadline, and one of the reasons of government’s failure to get ready for the LB polls was its rift with the MQM over the issue of delimitation of constituencies.
However, the Secretary Election Commission Ishtiaq Ahmed said in a statement on December 2 that there would be no change in the dates announced for the local bodies elections. He said elections would be held according to the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s order.
The Secretary ECP further announced that the schedule for local bodies polls in Sindh and Punjab will be issued on December 7, and asked the provinces to complete preparations for the polls otherwise they would be held responsible for any delays.
It may be mentioned her that the local bodies election in Sindh are scheduled to be held on January 18 while in Punjab on January 20.
