Parliamentary leaders decide to retain 272 NA seats

ISLAMABAD (Online): The parliamentary leaders have decided to retain 272 seats of National Assembly anyhow delimitation of new constituencies would be done with the proportion of the population.

The decision was taken in a meeting of parliamentary leaders, which was held here Tuesday with Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in the chair.

The constitutional amendment would be approved from the National Assembly, in this regard. The meeting was told that seven seats from Punjab have been lapsed while Khyber Pakhtoonkha’s four, Balochistan two and Federal Capital’s one more seat has been increased.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) expressed serious concerns about the results o census in Sindh. Representatives of both parties said that although some reservations exist there but were ready for timely election. Election Commission officials underlined the need legislation regarding delimiting of new constitutions to avert any delay in election.

Later talking to media, Speaker National Assembly said the bill of delimitation of constituencies will likely to be approved during the current session of National Assembly. He said extension of delimitation of constituencies will be on the basis of population.

To a question, he said Election Commission was able to hold election in time. He ruled out the impression of technocrat government. He said the power would be handed over to the party, which will clinch victory in the general elections.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, the Speaker said the Election Commission has requested the parliament to consider the issue on priority basis so that general elections are not delayed on this account.

Talking to media persons, Parliamentary leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Farooq Sattar said delimiting of constituencies is done with the numbers of voters across the globe. He said it was an old practice to delimit constituencies with the proportion of the population.

He expressed reservations about population of Karachi, saying his party has already approached the court. He further said his party was fully supporting PPP, in this respect.

Opposition leader, Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, Syed Navid Qamar, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Farooq Sattar, Akram Durrani, Zahid Hamid, Sheikh Aftab, Ghaus Baskhsh Mehr, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Chairman NADRA and Secretary Election Commission attended the meeting.