Delimitation of constituencies to be completed by February 28

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has received block-wise census data from Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) and has started the process of delimitation. An official of the ECP told Business Recorder that the Commission received all necessary material as per Article 220 of the Constitution. The five delimitation committees formed by the ECP had completed their training and formally started work on the exercise from January 15 and would prepare draft proposals in 45 days.
He said that the reconciliation of census blocks is underway and the Bureau has provided with 80-90 percent material. The official said that this time the delimitation exercise would be different from the previous ones, adding that the different delimitation committees have been formed for each of the four provinces and one for the federal capital and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
However, the official pointed out that the committees did not include officers from the province they are covering. The committee for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has officers from Punjab while officers from Sindh are looking at Punjab. He maintained that since all five committees would finalize their proposals in the secretariat, it would not be possible for even a top official of the Commission to influence delimitation for any district at his whims.
After making proposals, the committees would present them before the five-member commission and the objections raised would be decided upon by the entire commission and not by a single individual, said the ECP official. The ECP drafted a plan for delimitation of constituencies. Under the plan, the ECP started procuring maps and other relevant data by December 26, 2017 and completed the process by January 10, 2018. The delimitation committees were formed. The committees started delimitation of constituencies by January 15 and would complete it by February 28.
The ECP will then invite proposals and objections on the draft delimitation in the next 30 days between March 5 and April 3. The disposal of proposals and objections will be carried out from April 4 to May 3. The process of delimitation will be completed by May 20 with the official publication of the exercise.