ECP to display initial list of delimitation of constituencies on 28th, Senate told

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Aftab Ahmed Sheikh apprised the Senate Monday that the ECP would display an initial list of delimitation of constituencies on February 28.

Opposing a resolution regarding delimitation of National Assembly constituencies in Fata for general election 2018 moved by Sajjad Hussain and others in the House, the minister said the government had already decided that old seats of Fata would remain intact.

He said after new census, the delimitation process was being carried out in the country, but despite less population, Fata’s National Assembly seats were not being slashed. Earlier, leader of the opposition Aitzaz Ahsan said under the Constitution, Fata had 12 seats, which could neither be increased nor decreased. There was no need for carrying out delimitation in Fata, he added.

Later, the House passed the resolution, which recommended to the government that the process of delimitation of constituencies in Fata for next general election be stopped and the general election 2018 should be held as per previous delimitations. The House also passed two other resolutions.

One resolution recommended that in view of growing collaboration between Pakistan and China under the CPEC, Chinese language should be encouraged in schools and colleges while the other stressed that the government should take necessary steps to set up separate branches of the National Bank of Pakistan in tehsils Dadak and Kangri district Musakhel (Balochistan).

Meanwhile, a private members bill, “the members of parliament (salaries and allowances) (Amendment) Bill 2018 was introduced in the House by Sitara Ayaz. The Senate chairman referred the bill to the standing committee concerned for deliberations. Farhatullah Babar on behalf of Functional Committee on Human Rights Chairperson Nasreen Jalil presented the report of the committee on the bill to provide for protection of rights of transgender persons and their welfare in the House.