NA passes bill on delimitation of Constituencies

The National Assembly (NA) on Thursday passed "The Constitutional (Amendment) Bill, 2017" with more than a two-third majority for delimitation of constituencies and reallocation of NA seats on the basis of provisional census results and also unanimously passed "The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2017" to add a new section 48-A to the Election Act 2017 to reaffirm provisions of 7-B and 7-C related to Khatam-e-Nabuwat.
The Constitutional (Amendment) Bill, 2017 pertaining to delimitation of constituencies and reallocation of National Assembly seats in the provinces was passed with 242 votes in its favour and one vote against it. All political parties supported the bill while independent candidate Jamshed Dasti opposed it after the House rejected his amendment to the bill. PTI's Dr Arif Alvi withdrew his amendment after explanation from Law Minister Zahid Hamid.
Leaders of all parliamentary parties including coalition partners of the government expressed their reservations on provisional results of the census and urged the government to verify at least five percent results of the population census. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi assured the members that the matter would be sent to the Council of Common Interests (CCI) for further discussion and to get a go ahead for the five percent verification of the census results.
The Constitutional Amendment Bill says that article 51(5) of the Constitution provides that seats in the National Assembly shall be allocated to each province, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and the federal capital on the basis of population in accordance with the last preceding census officially published.
There is consensus amongst the political parties that for purposes of the next general elections to be held in 2018 and by-elections related thereto, allocation of National Assembly seats should be made on the basis of provisional results of the 2017 census without changing the existing total number of general seats (272) and women seats (60) and retaining the share of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (12).
According to the proposed reallocation, seats will increase for Balochistan (2 general seats +1 women seat), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (4 general seats +1 woman seat) and Federal Capital (1 general seats +0 woman seat), while seats for Punjab will decrease (-7 general seats, -2 women seats), and seats for Sindh will remain the same. The Council of Common Interests in its meeting held on 13th November, 2017 has approved publication of the provisional results of Census 2017 for purposes of Article 51(5) as provided in this Bill.
The Council has also decided that a third-party validation will be carried out of 5 percent census blocks proportionately in each province throughout the country selected by a random computer ballot, before the final results are compiled. This will help address reservations/ concerns expressed by the Sindh government / PPPP, MQM, PT1, PML-N, JUI(F), JI, QWP-S, PMAP, ANP and Members from FATA regarding the provisional results. The percentage of census blocks for which validation is to be carried out may change if so decided by the CCI.
According to Elections (amendment) Bill, 2017, "48A: Status of Ahmadis etc. to remain unchanged.- (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or any other law for the time being in force including Rules or forms prescribed there under, the status of Quadiani Group or the Lahori Group (who call themselves 'Ahmadis' or by any other name) or a person who does not believe in the absolute and unqualified finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), the last of the prophets or claimed or claims to be a Prophet, in any sense of the word or of any description whatsoever, after Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) or recognizes such a claimant as a Prophet or religious reformer shall remain the same as provided in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973."
"If a person has got himself enrolled as voter and objection is filed before the Revising Authority notified under this Act that such a voter is not a Muslim, the Revising Authority shall issue a notice to him to appear before it within fifteen days and require him to sign a declaration reproduced below regarding his belief about the absolute and unqualified finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). In case he refuses to sign the declaration as aforesaid, he shall be deemed to be a non-Muslim and his name shall be deleted from the joint electoral rolls and added to a supplementary list of voters in the same electoral area as non-Muslim. In case the voter does not turn up in spite of service of notice, an ex parte order may be passed against him."
Speaking on the occasion, Zahid Hamid said that the status of Qadiani or Lahori group will continue as non-Muslims. He said if a person gets himself or herself enrolled as Muslim in the voters' list, any other person can challenge this before the revising authority, then he or she is required to sign the declaration of finality of the Prophethood. The minister for law said if the person refuses to sign that declaration then he shall be deemed as non-Muslim.
Clarifying his own position, the minister said that he cannot even think of anything against the Khatam-e-Nabuwat as he and his family are devout Muslims and they can sacrifice even their lives for the respect of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Rana Muhammad Afzaal presented annual report of the board of directors of State Bank of Pakistan on the state of Pakistan's economy for the year 2016-17 in the House.