RE-DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLIES CONSTITUENCIES
Islamabad, the 23rd May, 2007.- After the conduct of General Elections, 2002, in all 15 new Districts and 55 Tehsils/Talukas were created in all the four Provinces. As a result, 68 National Assembly constituencies and 129 Provincial Assemblies constituencies required re-description in order to reflect the on-ground position.
In this scenario, 19 proposals regarding fresh delimitation of certain National and Provincial Assemblies constituencies were received from various persons. After consideration by the Election Commission, all such requests were declined on the ground of census-related embargo on fresh delimitation of constituencies/re-allocation of seats contained in Article 51(3) of the Constitution as well as Section 7(2) of the Delimitation of Constituencies Act, 1974 and an established practice of re-description of constituencies in the event of creation of new districts and administrative units during the interregnum.
However, on the strength of the provisions of Section 10-A of the Delimitation of Constituencies Act, 1974, the Commission was empowered to make such amendments, alterations or modifications in the final lists of constituencies, of its own motion, as it deemed necessary. Resultantly, the proposals for re-describing the National and Provincial Assemblies constituencies in all such cases where changes in the administrative boundaries had taken place, were approved by the Election Commission with clear directions that the actual areas of constituencies on the ground will be maintained and that the extent of all relevant constituencies where changes in the administrative boundaries have taken place are simply re-described/re-named as per new names of the areas/administrative units, etc.
Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad, Federal Secretary, Election Commission of Pakistan has issued this official statement on behalf of Chief Election Commissioner