QUETTA: The Balo­chistan High Court nullified on Friday new delimitation of constituencies announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan for eight of Quetta’s nine Balochistan Assembly seats and ordered the ECP to revisit the areas and make fresh delimitation of constituencies.

A Balochistan High Court bench comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Abdullah Baloch heard several petitions filed in the court against the new delimitation of the constituencies announced by the ECP and asked the commission to review flaws and redress them.

Several people belonging to political parties and would-be independent candidates had expressed their concern over new delimitations of constituencies in Quetta’s several provincial assembly seats.

The bench ordered re-demarcation of new constituencies in the light of population of these areas. The petitions were filed by former lawmakers of provincial and national assembly.

The delimitation of constituencies nullified by the BHC order include Quetta I, PB 24; II PB 25; III PB 26; IV PB 27; V PB 28; VI PB 29; VII PB 30; IX PB 31.

The court also ordered re-merger of Sordu Union Council in Panjgur.

After the court’s decision, the Election Commission of Pakistan has been precluded from re-issuing new delimitation on all provincial assembly seats, except Sariab Mil, Bhosa Mandi and Khilji Colony of PB 31.

A constitutional petition filed by Ali Jan against delimitation on PB 39, Khuzdar; PB 43, Panjgur; and PB 44 Awaran was rejected by the Balochistan High Court.

The court directed the ECP to immediately complete and review all legalities to re-organise new delimitation of constituencies after the court order.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2018