Pakistan: Baloch minister says delimitation of constituencies creates rift between tribes

Member of Balochistan Assembly, Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetaran accused the Election Commission of Pakistan of trying to create differences between the communities and tribes through delimitation of national and provincial assembly constituencies, a local media reported.

"New constituencies created by the ECP (Election Commission of Pakistan) will trigger tribal disputes which the government is trying to resolve," Khetaran said while speaking in the Provincial Assembly session on Friday.

Khetaran said that the new government had come to power with a promise to restore the peace and promote the brotherhood among different tribes and also to resolve their disputes but these new delimitations would create division among the people, Dawn reported.

Khetaran stated that the government believed in the rule of law and it would not allow anyone to make a state within the state. He further said that the ECP had given time for filing objections on new constituencies till July 30 and political parties should file their objections there to resolve the issue.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Member of the Provincial Assembly Mobin Ahmed Khilji also criticised the new delimitation of constituencies and said that the ECP, instead of making delimitation on merit and keeping in view ground realities, had announced new constituencies on the desire of a nationalist party.

He said that some constituencies had a small number of voters while some others had a massive number of voters, reported Dawn.

He suggested lawmakers challenge new delimitations in the court to end controversy triggered by the ECP.

Malik Naeem Bazai of the Awami National Party also expressed dissatisfaction over the new constituencies but said he was ready to contest the election under the new delimitation of constituencies announced by the ECP.

"I'm not worried about my election and ready to face opposition parties and even the joint candidate of JUI-F and PkMAP, as I have served my people and did work for their welfare in my constituency," Bazai said.

Earlier, on May 31, ECP issued preliminary lists of national and provincial assembly constituencies, revising the National Assembly seats from 342 to 336. As for provinces, Balochistan will have 16 general seats in the National Assembly.

The ECP will hear and decide all objections from July 1 to July 30 and the final list of constituencies will be published on Aug 3.

(ANI)