Population census: SHC seeks details from govt about publishing final result

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) has sought the details from federal government about publishing final result of the population census, which are lying pending with Council of Common Interests.

The two-member judges bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar sought the details in response to a petition of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P), challenging the constitution of committees for delimitation of local government jurisdictions in the province and contended that the exercise of delimitation could not be carried out unless the final results of the population census were officially published. Justice Mazhar remarked that whole process stopped due to CCI as concerned authorities are not publishing the results of census.

MQM-P leaders Amir Khan, Kanwar Naveed Jameel and Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar had filed the petition and submitted that the delimitation exclusively came within the domain of the ECP, but the additional deputy commissioners were included in these committees while the final result of the national census had also not been officially publicized.

Petitioners submitted that the letter dated April 13 and the notification issued on Jan 30 were illegal and unlawful since the same were ultra vires of the Election Act of 2013 and 2017 as well as the judgements of the superior and higher judiciary and pleaded to declare them illegal.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020