TIMERGARA: Local leaders of various political parties here on Friday demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan to review the proposed delimitation of provincial assembly constituencies.

Jamaat-i-Islami, Lower Dir chapter, rejected changes in the constituencies’ formation in the district and announced to move court against the decision.

Speaking at a meeting of party workers in Balambat, JI district chief and former MNA Maulana Asadullah claimed the ECP had brought about unnatural changes in constituencies in the district. He said neither geographical situation nor population was kept in mind in the delimitation process.

“We will soon call a multiparty moot to chalk out a joint strategy regarding this important issue,” he said, adding that the ECP should review its decision to remove grievances of the political parties.

Also in the day, the political parties held a protest rally at Ouch and demanded of the ECP to include Ouch union council in the proposed PK-14 instead of PK-15. The rally participants were addressed by MPA Bakht Baidar of QWP, former minister Azmat Khan of PPP, Adenzai tehsil nazim Qamar Zaman of PTI, ANP district president Hussain Shah, Sultanat Yar of JI and others.

They said that the local leadership had not been taken into confidence before delimitation of constituencies.

They threatened to boycott the next general elections if their demand was not accepted.

LAW AND ORDER REVIEWED: Provincial finance minister Muzaffar Said on Friday asked the Lower Dir administration to resolve the traffic-related issues and bring about positive change in attitude while dealing with public.

He was speaking at a meeting held at Timergara rest house to review law and order situation. District nazim Mohammad Rasool Khan, deputy commissioner Sarmad Saleem and DPO Nausher Khan briefed the meeting about the law and order situation in the district. They said the number of checkposts would be gradually decreased all over the district.

The minister asked the administration to take practical measures for providing relief to the local people.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2018