RAWALPINDI: The delimitation of constituencies will not be accepted and the PML-N will not allow the city to be divided, said former PML-N MNA Malik Shakil Awan at a press conference at the Rawalpindi Press Club on Tuesday.

He said the Election Commission of Pakistan accepted the PML-N’s objections over the proposed delimitation plan and agreed to restore NA-55, the old constituency of the city, but opposition members want to go to the courts and make amendments in their favour, he said

“The party and the residents are waiting for the Supreme Court decision in the Sheikh Rashid Ahmed disqualification case and we hope the decision will be made on merit,” he said, adding that the court decision will be accepted.

He said the ruling party has always respected the decision of the courts, whether they were in their favour or not.

“We always implement court orders without delay and the case of former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, is an example of this,” he said.

Mr Awan said the PML-N government has launched many development works in NA-55 which was turned into NA-62 under the new delimitation. These include the completion of the Mother Child Hospital at Asghar Mall, improving the natural gas supply system in the city, the installation of new tubewells and filtration plants for the provision of clean drinking water and the replacement of rusty water supply lines.

Malik Shakil Awan said Sheikh Rashid Ahmed did not initiate any work in the education sector and that the PML-N government completed the up-grading of the city schools and colleges and also established a new boys’ college at Khayaban-i-Sir Syed.

Asked about the award of the ticket to former MNA Hanif Abbasi, he said the party will not give its ticket to anyone but Mr Abbasi, who has done a lot of work in his constituency.

Asked if the party will award tickets to more than one candidate in each constituency, he said the final decision will be made by the party and that all local leaders do not oppose the decision of Nawaz Sharif and party chief, Shahbaz Sharif.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2018