Haripur’s constituencies to remain intact: ECP dismisses petition on variations of voters’ population

HARIPUR: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday upheld its previous order of April 9, 2018 and dismissed the petition for reviewing the variations in the voters population of two provincial assembly constituencies of Haripur district.

According to Advocate Faisal Bin Khursheed, the counsel for respondent Asad Ullah Malik, the five members bench of ECP headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Rtd) Muhammad Raza heard the arguments from both sides on the petition by Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan, Asad Usman and Saifur Rehman, all residents of Haripur.

The petitioners, who moved Islamabad High Court against the ECP’s order of April 9, 2018, had pointed out variation of population of voters in both PK-40 and PK- 42 and prayed for correction.

The single bench of Islamabad High Court, headed by Justice Amir Farooq remanded the case to ECP on May 30 for reviewing the variation of voters’ population in the two provincial assembly constituencies.

The ECP after hearing arguments from both sides dismissed the petition by upholding ECP’s own order of April 9, 2018, said Faisal Bin Khursheed advocate.

About the previous order of ECP of dated April 9, Faisal Bin Khursheed who was counsel for petitioner Asadullah Malik and respondent in the review petition, said through the preliminary report of delimitation of March 5, 2018 the Municipal Committee Haripur along with patwar circle Haripur, Darwesh and Dheri Malikyar were attached to PK-42 Haripur-III instead of PK-40 Haripur I. While areas of Municipal Committee Khalabat Township along with patwar circles Chohar Sharif, Dhenda, Jagal and Makhan were added to PK-40 instead of PK 42.

The ECP’s full bench headed by Justice (Rtd) Sardar Muhammad Raza had through a detailed order of April 9, 2018, revised the delimitation by re-annexing the areas of Municipal Committee Haripur, patwar circles Darwesh and Dhehri Malikyar to semi urban semi-rural constituency of PK-40 and areas falling in the limits of Municipal Committee Khalabat Township, patwar circles Dhenda, Jagal, Chohar Sharif and Makhan to PK-42.

Before recent delimitation, Haripur had four PA constituencies including PK-39, PK-40, PK-41 and PK-42 but now reduced to only PK-40, 41 and 42 with lone NA seat of NA-17 previously known as NA-9.