Fresh delimitations not a “constitutional requirement”: PPP

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People Party (PPP) has expressed its disapproval of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) recent resolution to conduct fresh delimitations ahead of upcoming elections.

In response to the ECP’s decision to embark on constituency boundary revisions, the PPP has contested the notion, asserting that redrawing electoral boundaries does not constitute a “constitutional requirement.”

According to the ECP’s projected timeline, the process of fresh delimitation is expected to span approximately four months. Consequently, this would extend the timeframe within which general elections in the country could be conducted post the dissolution of provincial and national assemblies, surpassing the stipulated 90-day window.

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Faisal Karim Kundi, the spokesperson for PPP, responded to the ECP’s pronouncement by underscoring the party’s consistent stance on holding elections in adherence to the constitutional framework. He emphasized that while there exists no constitutional obligation for delimitation procedures, a constitutional imperative mandates the conduct of elections within the 90-day timeframe.

PPP, a prominent constituent of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government at the federal level, has previously played a pivotal role in the unanimous endorsement of the new census. This endorsement, presided over by the then Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), revealed the country’s populace to be 241.49 million, with an annual growth rate of 2.55%.

In light of the CCI’s authoritative approval, the ECP now finds itself constitutionally compelled to proceed with fresh delimitations, in alignment with the findings of the 7th Population and Housing Census of 2023.

Notably, a legal petition was submitted to the Supreme Court a day prior, invoking Article 224(2) of the Constitution. The petition called for the ECP to promptly announce the schedule for national and provincial assembly elections while also seeking the suspension of the CCI’s decision dated August 5. The petition posits that the ECP’s adherence to constitutional mandates is crucial for ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.