Islamabad [Pakistan], August 20 : Pakistan's Former Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was opposing the fresh delimitations on the basis of the 2023 census due to fear of losing a few seats as an increase in the number of Karachi seats was expected, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.
While speaking at a Geo News programme "Jirga", Sanaullah said that a delay in holding general elections beyond 90 days will not make any difference. He said that the Council of Common Interests (CCI), in which PPP leaders were also present, had given approval to the new census by consensus.
On August 17, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the polls could not be conducted in three months due to the requirement of fresh delimitations after the notification of census 2023, according to Geo News report.
Rana Sanaullah said, "There is a consensus of the entire nation on this census. New delimitation is a constitutional requirement." He said that everyone raised objections to the 2017 census, however, since elections were around the corner, a one-time “amendment” was made to conduct polls on that particular headcount.
Sanaullah called holding elections on a tainted census of 2017" unconstitutional. He further said that delaying polls for another 80 or 90 days would not be an issue, Geo News reported.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party leader Sherry Rehman urged the country's election commission to announce the election date as per the provisions of Article 224 of the Constitution, Pakistan-based The News International reported.
Rehman said, "Our Constitution binds the Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct general elections within 90 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly, however, there is no constitutional requirement for conducting delimitation."
Rehman called on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the election date to fulfil the constitutional obligations of holding polls in Pakistan within 90 days. She said the PPP supported the election being conducted under the new census in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting after it was agreed that the existing seats will not be changed.
She said, "Since there will be no change in the existing national and provincial seats, the process of delimitation should be completed quickly." PPP leader said that as per the Constitution, the ECP needs to conduct general elections within 90 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly.
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