RAWALPINDI: Fearing that preliminary constituency delimitation in Rawalpindi will have an adverse affect on its performance in the upcoming general election, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has decided to take the ‘pro-PML-N’ move to the Election Commission of Pakistan, which it insists is tilted towards the governing party.

Eight-time MNA from Rawalpindi and former railways minister, Awami Muslim League (AML) President Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, has called the delimitations a trick to favour the PML-N. However, he avoided challenging the move and said he would contest elections from two seats in Rawalpindi.

The PTI, along with its ally Sheikh Rasheed, won two National Assembly seats from the city areas: NA-56 – party chairman Imran Khan’s constituency – and NA-55, which was won by Sheikh Rasheed.

It won four provincial assembly seats: PP-13, PP-11, PP-12 and PP-9.

Sheikh Rasheed to contest from two seats instead of challenging delimitation

The PTI believes that the 2018 election results will be vary significantly from the last election’s results in the wake of the constituency realignment. The party said that pockets of PTI supporters have been shifted in three national and provincial assembly constituencies.

The ECP, which has announced delimitations, has not changed the number of National Assembly constituencies in the district but has added a provincial assembly seat from the rural areas.

However, the identification numbers have been changed. NA-55, which consisted of city areas such as Raja Bazaar and its surroundings, has now been called NA-60 and includes all the Chaklala cantonment areas and a few union councils of the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation.

NA-54, which consists of Rawalpindi cantonment areas has been renamed NA-61, and includes six city union councils, including Dhoke Ratta, Dhoke Hassu and Dhoke Mangtal.

NA-56, which consists of 13 city union councils from Chandni Chowk to Faizabad and five Chaklala wards has been renamed NA-62, and will now consist of all 40 city union councils, while cantonment areas have been removed.

Sheikh Rasheed told Dawn that the delimitation was a trick to benefit the PML-N, and had changed his home constituency altogether. He said only his union council, Lal Haveli, and its surrounding areas, remains in his constituency, which now consists of the Chaklala cantonment.

He said union councils where the PML-N had lost in the 2013 elections had been chosen and added to the other two constituencies, such as Dhoke Ratta, where he won in 2013 by 10,000 votes.

“The experts made the constituencies on the basis of analysis of the last four elections in the area. It means the ruling PML-N’s patwaris were working on the subject for the last five years,” he claimed.

However, he said he would not challenge the decision before the ECP or in court “as it will have a bad impact on the people of the area”. “I will contest the election from two seats and will face the ruling PML-N,” he said.

“Chaudhry Nisar is a beneficiary of the delimitation, as NA-52, which has now been turned into NA-59, has become a safe haven for him whether or not in the PML-N,” he said.

The PTI, however, will challenge the delimitation, PTI MPA Arif Abbasi told Dawn.

“Areas populated by PTI supporters and voters were divided in three constituencies of the city to stop the way of the party in next general elections. We have started work to make a petition to challenge it in election commission as well as in the courts,” he said.

PTI strongholds such as Satellite Town, Chandni Chowk, Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, Dhoke Ratta and Westridge have been divided between three constituencies, so that PTI voters do not impact the election results, he claimed.

Mr Abbasi added that his constituency, PP-13, had been changed to PP-19, and now included Raja Bazaar and Iqbal Road but no longer includes the cantonment areas.

He alleged that revenue officials and Punjab’s bureaucracy had helped the ECP with the delimitations, adding that the bureaucracy’s role in Punjab was to benefit the PML-N.

“Three constituencies of Rawalpindi city and cantonment will help the PML-N settle differences within the party. For Chaudhry Tanveer’s son Daniyal Chaudhry the constituency of NA-55 was altered, for Hanif Abbasi NA-56 was changed and for Malik Abrar from NA-54, six union councils of the city were added to it,” he said.

PTI MPA Rashed Hafeez said their lawyers were working on challenging decision in court, adding that it would be difficult for candidates to study the maps due to complications caused by the delimitation.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2018