ISLAMABAD: Due to sheer lack of interest from the treasury and opposition benches, the National Assembly on Friday deferred a constitutional amendment bill regarding fresh delimitation of constituencies, sparking fears that the next general elections might be delayed.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) schedule, the next elections could either take place towards the end of July or before Aug 5, 2018.

Editorial: Delimitation deadlock

The bill seeking fresh delimitations was meant to be passed by a two-thirds majority, but an incomplete quorum on Friday reflected a lack of interest on the part of members from the two mainstream political parties — the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the main opposition Pakistan Peoples Party.

Even Law Minister Zahid Hamid, who had moved the bill, was absent.

The deputy speaker asked the treasury benches to call on Mr Hamid to initiate debate on the bill. When he did not turn up, the deputy speaker asked Minister for States and Frontier Region retired Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch to start a discussion on the bill, but with a wave of his hand, Mr Baloch dismissed the request, indicating that, he too, was not interested. Hence the bill was deferred.

‘Abduction’ of Dr Allah Nazar’s family members condemned

On Tuesday, all parliamentary parties had agreed on fresh delimitation of constituencies and passed a bill to meet the constitutional obligation under the 2017 census. However, when the bill was introduced in the National Assembly, they seemed indifferent.

Many now believe that the next elections will be delayed and this will not benefit any political party. It is also unclear as to why the political parties, which were raising a hue and cry over the need for delimitation on Tuesday, appeared to have changed their position on Friday.

Prior to this anti-climactic turn of events, PML-N’s Tehmina Daultana lashed out at the establishment and even parliament over the “injustice” meted out to ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family.

Ms Daultana, a senior parliamentarian, left many stunned with her articulation of the current environment of fear and uncertainty. “Let Pakistan be one state where there will be no injustice or cruelty to women or any leader of the country,” she said.

“This drama will not end with Nawaz Sharif and his family...many will meet the same fate. Lists are being prepared and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan should wait for his turn.”

She said that under the present fragile political situation, a political alliance similar to the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) of 2002 could be formed under Nawaz Sharif.

The ARD was created to oppose retired Gen Pervez Musharraf’s rule and to campaign for a return to civilian rule. History was repeating itself, Ms Daultana said, adding that if it was Nawaz Sharif’s turn today, everyone would meet the same fate and no family would be safe.

Referring to a recent incident in which some children and women related to Dr Allah Nazar, leader of the Balochistan Liberation Front, were picked up, she said if Dr Nazar was wanted by security forces, it did not mean that women from his family should be picked.

Earlier, Balochistan National Party-Mengal leader Essa Noori staged a walkout in protest against the abduction of Dr Nazar’s relatives.

The deputy speaker said the house condemned the abduction as it was a violation of Islamic principles and human rights.

Before staging the walkout, Mr Noori said what law allowed women and children to be picked up like this. “Is this the right way to hold someone’s wife and children hostage?” he asked.

Ghulam Ahmed Bilour of the Awami National Party also condemned the practice of holding the family members of a suspect hostage. “If they have committed a crime they should be produced before a court of law,” he added.

Abdul Hakeem Baloch said such incidents would further deteriorate the security situation in Balochistan.

He said that unfortunately no one from the government was available to respond to the issue. “The success of the $54 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor depends on the situation in Balochistan,” he declared.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2017