Centre delaying census results, delimitation matters, says Sindh CM 

THATTA: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the federal government has failed to expedite the  compiling of the census results and carrying out delimitation of electoral constituencies. “This has raised the apprehensions of delaying general elections which the PPP would never allow.” 

This he said while talking to media on Tuesday after laying foundation stone of a hospital being established by a local NGO, Sahil Welfare Trust here at Darya Peer village located on the Coastal Highway, near Mirpursakro, district Thatta.

Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the federal government after laying census results in the CCI meeting of August 25,  called an Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee meeting (IPCC) on September 7 to discuss census and delimitation matters. But it was pointed out there that the census and delimitation matters could be raised only at the CCI platform and so the issue was referred back to the CCI.

Later the prime minister convened the CCI meeting on November 13, and said a constitutional amendment was required for making delimitations  on the basis of provisional census results. “Now the question arises why the federal government is wasting time by playing ping pong with the census issue,” he asked and said if the constitutional amendment was required the federal government should have  directly moved the said amendment instead of referring the matter to IPCC and CCI.   He said that in the CCI meeting there were total eight votes but he was the only one to raise the census issues ranging from average numerical size of a family unit, male- female ratio, average housing units in rural and urban areas.

Replying to a question, the chief minister said that he had conditionally accepted the provisional census results. He added that the conditions included conducting third party validation of one percent of the census blocks ie 1600 blocks to be verified; publish block-wise census results and the third condition is about the creation of a credible forum to rectify the mistakes in the census results. He said that the federal government accepted all his conditions on the CCI forum and then it was allowed to amend the constitution. 

Replying to a question about Imran Khan’s demand for early election, the chief minister said if the PTI is serious in its early election demand then why the KPK chief minister Pervez Khatak voted in favour of constitutional amendment.

Talking about PSP-MQM alliance, the chief minister said that he had welcomed the alliance but it could not last long. He said he is all for political activities but warned that he would not allow any one to create law and order situation in the city “We have restored peace with tiresome efforts,” he said.