Hearing of delimitation objections under way at ECP

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has started hearing today objections pertaining to the new delimitation of constituencies for the upcoming general elections.

The process of hearing the objections will take place until the end of this month. 

According to the ECP, it has received a total of 1,286 objections to the new constituencies, which were changed to reflect the results of the latest population census. 

The ECP received a total of 706 objections from Punjab and Islamabad, 284 from Sindh, 104 from Balochistan and 192 from FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

At present, the ECP has reserved its decision on objections related to PK-28 and PK-29 constituencies of Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The commission also clubbed the various objections related to the district into one petition. 

On Tuesday, ECP spokesman Haroon Shinwari said that this is not the first time they have been delimiting constituencies.

Speaking on Geo News programme 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath', Shinwari said the entire nation has expectations from them and they would stand up to those expectations.

He noted that the ECP has been working on the delimitation of new constituencies for the past year and a half, besides conducting ongoing training of employees.

"Those objecting to the delimitation of new constituencies must have some personal issue," the spokesman said.

On March 5, the ECP had issued initial delimitation of national and provincial assemblies on the basis of the population census carried out late last year.