Short on time, SHC adjourns MQM’s delimitation plea

Karachi
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday adjourned the hearing of Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) plea, opposing delimitation of union councils and committees in Korangi and Malir districts, due to shortage of time.
Aggrieved with the provincial government’s delimitation, MQM’s deputy convenor Farooq Sattar claimed in the petition that the delimitation carried out was unlawful as it was aimed at manipulating the electoral college.
He submitted that union committees of district Malir were included in district Korangi and vice versa in violation of the Supreme Court’s orders whereas reasons and procedures following for the shifting were not stated.
Naming secretary local government, provincial census commissioner, commissioner Karachi and Election Commission of Pakistan as respondents, the court was prayed to declare the delimitation notification unlawful and restrain the government from holding elections in such districts till a decision on the petition was announced.
He also requested to constitute union councils and committees as per the population ratio of such districts.
Meanwhile, MQM’s MPA Syed Sardar Ahmed also filed another petition in the SHC challenging delimitation of union councils and committees in Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar, Tando Jam and Nawabshah.
The petitioner claimed the delimitation process was not conducted by the election commission whereas several urban areas were amalgamated in the rural areas on political bias. Objections raised by the petitioners and local residents were also not considered.
He also questioned the bifurcation of Hyderabad city for the local bodies’ poll instead of declaring it a metropolitan city.
He submitted that the delimitation process should be conducted by the election commission instead of the provincial government.