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KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has filed separate petitions in the Supreme Court, seeking a stay order and review of apex court decisions on the delimitation of constituencies and preparation of electoral lists in Karachi.
The applications were filed by MQM Coordination Committee Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar in the SC Karachi Registry through his counsel Barrister Farogh Nasim on Monday.
The petitioner took the plea that a population census is held in different countries of the world before the redrawing of constituencies and then demarcation of constituencies is carried out. The election commission secretary’s statement before the SC for delimitation of constituencies without carrying out a population census is unconstitutional, he added.
In his second petition, the petitioner took the position that the apex court’s order in connection with the preparations of voters’ lists be put in place for the entire country.
The petitioner prayed to the court to stay operationalisation of its interim orders dated November 26 and 28 till the decision on the review petitions.
PPI adds: The petitioner submitted before the court that delimitation can only be undertaken after a fresh census, adding that the last census was conducted in 1998, whereas the delimitation thereon took place in 2002, which was upheld by the Election Commission and the courts of Pakistan.
He stated that under the said census/ delimitation two general elections and a local bodies’ election took place in the country; therefore, the delimitation of 2002, and also the census of 1998, constitutes a past and closed transaction.
He submitted that in view of above no power of delimitation under the relevant laws are available to be exercised unless and until there is a fresh census.
He submitted that without a fresh census, the act of delimitation, which in essence is meant to create equality in the constituencies, would be nothing but a futile exercise.
He submitted that the apex court in the Watan Party case held that delimitation in Karachi was to be undertaken strictly in accordance with the law.
The applications were filed by MQM Coordination Committee Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar in the SC Karachi Registry through his counsel Barrister Farogh Nasim on Monday.
The petitioner took the plea that a population census is held in different countries of the world before the redrawing of constituencies and then demarcation of constituencies is carried out. The election commission secretary’s statement before the SC for delimitation of constituencies without carrying out a population census is unconstitutional, he added.
In his second petition, the petitioner took the position that the apex court’s order in connection with the preparations of voters’ lists be put in place for the entire country.
The petitioner prayed to the court to stay operationalisation of its interim orders dated November 26 and 28 till the decision on the review petitions.
PPI adds: The petitioner submitted before the court that delimitation can only be undertaken after a fresh census, adding that the last census was conducted in 1998, whereas the delimitation thereon took place in 2002, which was upheld by the Election Commission and the courts of Pakistan.
He stated that under the said census/ delimitation two general elections and a local bodies’ election took place in the country; therefore, the delimitation of 2002, and also the census of 1998, constitutes a past and closed transaction.
He submitted that in view of above no power of delimitation under the relevant laws are available to be exercised unless and until there is a fresh census.
He submitted that without a fresh census, the act of delimitation, which in essence is meant to create equality in the constituencies, would be nothing but a futile exercise.
He submitted that the apex court in the Watan Party case held that delimitation in Karachi was to be undertaken strictly in accordance with the law.
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