TIMERGARA/ KHAR: Protest demonstrations against delimitation of constituencies continued in parts of Lower Dir and Khar town on Saturday.

In Timergara, the elders of Uthmankhail tribe of Arang, Bajaur Agency, rejected changes to their constituency, terming it a conspiracy against the tribe. Speaking at a press conference at Timergara press club, elders of the Arang Uthmankhel tribe Mohammad Nasir Khan, Shah Room, Fazal Hakim and others alleged that the Election Commission of Pakistan had divided Uthmankhel tribe in Arang without any justification.

They urged the ECP to review its decision and form a new National Assembly constituency in Arang area, which they claimed had the population of over 150,000 people. They threatened to boycott the upcoming general elections if the decision was not withdrawn.

Earlier, the tribesmen staged a protest demonstration against the delimitation in front of the press club and chanted slogans against the ECP for not taking the local people into confidence before delimitation of their constituency.

Also in the day, local leaders at a meeting held at Lal Qila Maidan rejected changes in the previous PK-96 constituency and demanded of the ECP to restore its limits.

In Khar, workers of various political parties and tribal elders on Saturday asked the ECP to immediately review the delimitation for the National Assembly constituencies in Bajaur Agency.

They made the demand during a protest demonstration against the recent delimitation of constituencies in the agency.

The rally was held by PTI local chapter outside the Bajaur Press Club in Khar. The protesters criticised the ECP for making fresh delimitation of the National Assembly constituencies for the upcoming general elections. They called the exercise inappropriate and against the sentiments of local people.

They claimed that people of the tribal agency would not accept the changes in the constituencies. They said that the fresh changes would create unrest among the people. They asked the ECP to immediately review the delimitation, saying it should be redone according to wishes of the local people.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2018