Elections likely to be delayed over amendment to delimitation law

ISLAMABAD: The coming general elections are likely to be delayed as the constitutional amendment pertaining to fresh delimitation of constituencies could not be approved in the Senate.

Sources said that after the census the bill concerning the delimitation could not be approved in the Senate so far. Also, the bill despite being on the agenda could not be tabled in the Senate session yesterday. In this connection, the government had already requested cooperation from the opposition.

Under the Election Act, fresh delimitation of constituencies is a constitutional responsibility following the population census, sources in the election commission said.

The distribution of seats in the provinces after the census is also a constitutional duty under the Election Act, they added.

Five months are required for delimitation while under the law a report on election preparation has to be submitted in the parliament by 2018.