Polls under new census may cost PPP a few seats: Sana

ISLAMABAD: Former interior minister Rana Sanaullah said a delay in the elections beyond 90 days would not make any difference. He said the PPP is objecting to the delimitation on the basis of census for fear of losing a few seats, as increase in number of Karachi seats is indicated.

He was speaking in the Geo News programme Jirga, hosted by Saleem Safi. He said that the Council of Common Interests (CCI) had approved the census by consensus. The PPP was also represented in the CCI, he said.

“There is a consensus of the entire nation on this census. New delimitation is a constitutional requirement”, he said. He explained that everyone objected to 2017 census, but since elections were round the corner, a one-time “amendment” was made to conduct polls on that headcount.

He maintained that conducting elections on a tainted census of 2017 would be unconstitutional. Therefore, delaying polls for another 80 or 90 days would not be any issue, he added.

He said that he had to make a way according to the situation. Sanaullah said no illegal case was made against any leader of PTI. These people were arrested according to the law, he claimed.

Azam Swati was produced in the court fifteen minutes after his arrest, while Shahbaz Gul a day after his arrest, the former interior minister told the host.

If 100 FIRs were registered, not a single one was false, the minister said. “If a person takes bail in one case, but not in another, he should be arrested,” he observed.

Shehryar Afridi was released on parole by the court, he said adding the Ministry of Interior cannot release an accused on parole.