ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan says it would complete the process of delimitation of constituencies latest by 3rd of May next year.
Briefing newsmen after a preparatory meeting of the Commission with all stakeholders in Islamabad Friday, Secretary of the Commission Babur Yaqoob said provinces and Pakistan Bureau of Statistics have been asked to provide maps and other relevant materials by the 10th of next month.
Babar Yaqoob said that the work will be started from January 15 and will be completed within three and a half months, adding that 45 days have also been reserved for suggestion round. He said provincial governments have been informed that no change will be taken place in any of union or district councils.
Will send summary of elections date to president after completion of assembly’s tenure, he added.
The session, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sardar Raza, was also attended by all four provincial election commissioners, chief secretaries, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) chairman and statistics secretary.
The participants inspected the condition of polling stations, electoral staff and other facilities and also gave recommendations on installation of cameras in the constituencies.
On December 20, constitutional amendment bill regarding delimitation of constituencies was passed in Senate, removing the obstruction in elections next year.
82 members of the Senate voted in the favor of the bill while no Senate member voted against it.
The bill known as Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2017, pertains to fresh delimitation of the constituencies in accordance with the provisional results of the latest census for upcoming General Elections in 2018.
In light of the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2017, Punjab will lose nine seats in the National Assembly while Islamabad will get one, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa five, and Balochistan three more seats.
However, the NA seats for FATA and Sindh will remain unchanged. NNI