PESHAWAR: Awami National Party MNA from Peshawar Ghulam Ahmed Bilour has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan not to change the number of his constituency, NA-1, claiming it has historic significance.

Under the fresh delimitation, the ECP has announced changes to the numbers of the countrywide national constituencies, declaring Chitral as NA-1.

MNA Bilour, who had won the National Assembly seat from the erstwhile NA-1 (Peshawar) in the 2013 by-elections after Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan vacated it, protested the move and urged the ECP not to change the number of his constituency.

Mr Bilour, who had won elections in the constituency and even defeated PPP leader Benazir Bhutto here, seemed emotionally attached to NA-1.

Says city has historic significance

In an open letter written to CEC retired justice Sardar Raza Ahmad Khan and shared with the media, the ANP MNA highlighted the ‘historic significance’ of his constituency and said the ECP shouldn’t change its number.

“No 1 (NA-1) should not be snatched from historic Peshawar city. It (this constituency) is a Khyber gateway to India. All conquers have passed through this city,” he said, adding that Peshawar was among the cities leading the freedom fight.

Mr Bilour said after March 23, 1930, when the Lahore Resolution was passed for the creation of Pakistan, Peshawar gave ‘its blood for freedom’.

He said Peshawar city had played a huge role in the country’s freedom and therefore, it should not be deprived of the name it had earned, by changing its constituency’s number (NA-1).

The MNA said since the CEC had spent time in the NA-1, he should be aware that there were some ‘black sheep’ who wanted to decrease the importance of the historic city of Peshawar by constituency demolition.

“Peshawar is the provincial capital and therefore, it should be not deprived of its number one position in the list of National Assembly constituencies,” he said.

Mr Bilour said the ECP should reconsider making Chitral the first constituency of the National and KP assemblies instead of Peshawar.

According to the ECP’s preliminary report on delimitation of the constituencies, NA-39 Dera Ismail Khan is the last constituency but Chitral has been declared the first constituency instead of Peshawar.

After the fresh delimitation, the National Assembly will continue to have 272 general seats, including 39 from KP, while the Federally Administered Areas will have 12 NA seats.

Likewise, the KP Assembly will have a total of 99 seats.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2018