Categories: Pakistan

Didn’t turn down PPP recommendations on delimitation issue: Marriyum Aurangzeb

ISLAMABAD (APP): State Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Wednesday that the government did not turn down Pakistan People’s Party’s recommendation on the ongoing issue of delimitation of constituencies.

The state minister’s statement comes in backdrop of the standstill between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the PPP regarding the passing of the delimitation bill from the lower house of the parliament.

“Legislation on the delimitation issue is an important constitutional and democratic requisite,” said the state minister. Aurangzeb said that the government is constitutionally bound to make strides in the passing of the bill.

All the decisions should be viewed under the light of the Council of Common Interest, said Marriyum, adding that the government believes in consultation.

Earlier, the PPP and ruling PML-N failed to agree on introducing the delimitation bill for voting as the PPP insists that the recently conducted census be audited by foreign experts so its reservations are removed.

According to the new delimitation of constituencies, Punjab’s seat share in the National Assembly will decrease by nine seats, while Islamabad will get one more seat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa five and Balochistan three more.

NA seats for FATA and Sindh will remain unchanged.

The Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2017, pertains to the fresh delimitation of constituencies in line with the provisional results of the latest census in light of the general elections next year.

The bill has already been adopted by the National Assembly, but the government has so far failed to get it approved by the Senate despite repeated attempts.

On November 27, voting on the bill was postponed for the fourth time as the required number of lawmakers were not present in the house. The house of 104 needed a two-thirds majority to pass the bill whereas less than 50 lawmakers were present.

The Frontier Post