ECP told to explain revised UC delimitations in Korangi

Karachi
The Sindh High Court directed the representatives of the Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday to file comments on a petition of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) against revised delimitations of union councils in the Korangi district.
The party has challenged the delimitation of certain union councils in Korangi, saying that the district was created by bifurcating District East in November 2013 and the new district comprised some areas of the East and South districts.
The counsel for the petitioner, Nishat Warsi, pointed out that union councils from one to six – including Akhtar Colony to Liaquat Ashraf Colony and some areas of District East – had been included in the Ferozabad subdivision of the District Municipal Corporation East through a notification dated July 26.
He submitted that the ECP had issued the final list of the local constituencies on July 28 this year. Later, the provincial election commissioner, who is the delimitation authority, issued a revised list in violation of the Schedule-I of the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013, and the population criteria had been disturbed in the creation of union councils one to six of the Akhtar Colony locality.
He said that as per the final list, Union Council 2 had a population of 40,402 and UC 6 had a population of 40,085, whereas under the revised list, UC 2 consists of 31,119 and UC 6 had 54,185 people. He said the Ward 3 of UC 2 had been included as Ward 4 of UC 6 due to revised delimitations.
The court was requested to declare the revised list illegal and order the election authorities to hold the third phase of the local bodies polls on the basis of the old lists of constituencies.
Adjourning the matter till November 26, the high court directed the representatives of the election commission to file comments on the petition.
11 judicial officers promoted
The chief justice of the Sindh High Court has ordered transfers and postings of 11 law officers after their promotion as additional district & sessions judges, APP adds.
According to a notification issued by the SHC registrar on Tuesday, Muhammad Yasin has been promoted from the post of the high court’s deputy registrar to the additional registrar.
Muhammad Yousuf Gul has been transferred from Moro to Larkana; Maqbool Ahmed Memon from Karachi Central to Sukkur; Malik Muhammad Akhtar from Karachi South to Ghotki; Abdul Rahim Chandio from Malir to Shikarpur; Inayatullah Bhutto from Dadu to Tando Muhammad Khan; Fateh Mubeen Nizam from Karachi South to Sanghar; Nadeem Badar Kazi from Karachi East to Kandhkot; Aliya Anwar from Karachi East to Tando Adam; Hafiz Misbahuddin Phulpoto from Sukkur to Tando Allah Yar; and Sadaf Khokhar from Shikarpur to Larkana.
According to another notification, some senior civil judges and assistant sessions judges are also transferred and posted with immediate effect. Muhammad Ibrahim has been transferred from Kashmore to Tando Allah Yara; Khadim Hussain Chand from Sehwan to Dadu; Naveed Ahmed from Khipro to Johi; Ali Muhammad Sahito from Shikarpur to Moro; Muhammad Yousuf Malik from Karachi East to Hala; Syed Zaheer Ahmed Naqvi from Karachi Central to Kotri; Muhammad Saleem Butt from Bhiria to Karachi Central; Zaffar Hussain Leghari from Naushahro Feroze to Karachi South; Ashfaq Ahmed Nizamani from Mirpurkhas to Karachi East; Abdul Hafeez Lashari from Kotri to Karachi East; Muhammad Ali Memon from Malir to Sanghar; Jahangir Bhayo from Larkana to Karachi South; and Ghous Ali Shah Jilani Syed from Shikarpur to Karachi East.