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Sunday, December 22, 2024  
19 Jumada Al-Akhirah 1446  

Petitions against ECP’s delimitations begin, 2 struck down

Lawyers argue that ECP did not put the same amount of voters in each constituency
File photo
File photo

Petitions chalenging delimitations conducted by the Election Commission of Pakistan led to their initial effects on Friday, with courts striking down two while ordering reviews on three.

The Lahore High Court heard petitions against the delimitations in Punjab Assembly’s PP-35 Wazirabad and PP-59 Gakhar Mandi as well as National Assembly’s NA-120 and 123 in Lahore.

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s Atta Tarar and Azam Nazeer Tarar appeared in LHC on Friday. Tarar pleaded that the Na-123 and PP-39 were altered against the law.

The petitions said that the population was decreased in one constituency while being increased in the other while the rules fix limits on how far they can be changed.

The LHC declared the delimitations in PP-35 and 59 to be void while ordering the ECP to review NA-120 and NA-123.

On the other hand, Islamabad High Court issued notices to the ECP in a petition filed against NA-35 Kohat on Friday.

Barrister Umer Ijaz Gilani appeared on behalf of the petitioner and said that NA-35 was a major constituency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

However, he argued that compared to the Kohat, constituencies such as Chitral, Hangu and Orakzai were drawn up to be very small.

The lawyer argued that the constitution granted equal rights to all constituencies. However, in the present scheme the value of Kohat’s voters has been decreased.

The lawyer added that Section 20(3) of the Election Act also declared that all constituencies would have equal population.

The IHC issued notices to the ECP and adjourned the hearing in the case till Monday.

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