FRESH POPULATION CENSUS IS REQUIRED FOR FUTURE GENERAL ELECTIONS, NOT FOR FORTHCOMING LG ELECTIONS

Islamabad, the 5^th December 2013.-         A section of media has referred to a letter written by the Election Commission to the Prime Minister regarding fresh population census before the upcoming Local Government Elections. It is, therefore, clarified that the Election Commission has sent a summary to the Prime Minister on November 22^nd, 2013 drawing the Government's attention toward the need to hold fresh population census in the country, but this has been proposed in the context of general elections to be held in future and not for the LG elections. It has clearly been stated in the summary that fresh population census is essential for carrying out fresh delimitation of constituencies for the National Assembly and the Provincial Assemblies before the next general elections which is the responsibility of the Election Commission under Article 222 (b) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Section (3) of the Delimitation of Constituencies Act, 1974. Furthermore, it has got nothing to do with the forthcoming Local Government Elections for which delimitation is carried out by the Provincial Governments and they all have been asked by the ECP to complete it without any further delay. It is also reiterated that the Election Commission will be issuing the schedules for LG Elections on December 7, 2013 to ensure holding of LG Elections in Sindh and Punjab on January 18^th and January 30, 2014 respectively as per orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of Pakistan.