QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Wednesday stopped the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from conducting the delimitation process in the province for the local government elections.

Justice Nazeer Ahmed Langove ordered the ECP to halt delimitations in Balochistan till the next hearing in the last week of February.

President of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association Shah Mohammad Jatoi had filed a petition asking the high court to allow the government to amend the Local Bodies’ Act, 2010, before conducting the delimitation of constituencies.

Mr Jatoi argued that the population of Balochistan had increased in the census conducted in March 2017 and “the provincial government seeks to amend the provincial local government act, but the ECP doesn’t allow it to do that”.

Election Commissioner, Balochistan, Ghulam Iswar Khan said the ECP had stopped the delimitation process in the province after the high court’s order.

“We had commenced the delimitation process on Feb 1 which had to be completed on Feb 14, but after the court’s order we have suspended it,” he added.

Meanwhile, during the hearing of another petition regarding the delay in holding of the local bodies’ elections, the BHC issued notices to all parties.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2019