BHC declares delimitation of eight Quetta constituencies null and void
The declaration was made during announcements of rulings on various constitutional petitions
June 02, 2018
QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Friday declared delimitation of eight provincial electoral constituencies of Quetta null and void.
Announcing their ruling on various constitutional petitions, a divisional bench comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Abdullah Baloch asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to re-conduct the delimitation in the said constituencies.
The constituencies that had their delimitation declared null and void are PB-24 Quetta 1, PB-25 Quetta 2, PB-26 Quetta 3, PB-27 Quetta 4, PB-28 Quetta 5, PB-29 Quetta 6, PB-30 Quetta 7, and PB-32 Quetta 9.
The same day, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) set aside delimitation of district Abbottabad, Zhob, and Jhang, and upheld the ECP’s decision on Sialkot and Multan’s constituencies.
Earlier on Thursday, IHC declared null and void the delimitation of Kharan, a district in Balochistan, for the National Assembly. The court issued orders to conduct the delimitation process at the earliest, keeping in mind the proportion of the population.
On Wednesday, IHC also declared null and void the delimitation of Kharan for the provincial assembly.
Justice Umer Farooq, who was hearing 12 petitions, upheld the delimitation of 12 constituencies of 10 districts, which comprised Bhakkar, Battagram, Bahawalpur, Layyah, Mandi Bahauddin, Karachi West, Mirpur Khas, Sargodha, and Islamabad.
The delimitation of six additional districts — Kharan, Ghotki, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Bahawalnagar, and Haripur — were also declared null and void.
The IHC rejected petitions against delimitation in Khanewal, Chiniot, Kurram Agency, Rajanpur, Mansehra, Swabi, Sialkot, Rahim Yar Khan, Bannu, Jacobabad, Gujranwala, and Umerkot.
