ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Wednesday said the matter of delimitation of constituencies was sent to the federal government for its decision as the leaders of parliamentary parties could not evolve consensus on a constitutional amendment.
Talking to media after the fourth meeting of leaders of parliamentary parties in the National Assembly in Islamabad, he said there was consensus among the political parties that elections should not be delayed.
The Speaker said Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) wanted that the matter should be sent to Council of Common Interests (CCI). While some members were of the view that Parliament was a supreme institution and it should decide the matter instead of any other institution, he added. He said members were clear that the work of Parliament should be done by the Parliament.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said there was also consensus that legally elections could not be held under the census of 1998.
The Speaker National Assembly said the committee meetings were an effort that the decision should be made with consensus, adding even a party with a single member was given weightage. He said the committee members from the treasury benches would talk with the government which would take a decision about the bill on delimitation of constituencies.
In addition, he said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had made it clear that it might go the Supreme Court for getting a verdict on the matter of delimitation of constituencies.
The Constitutional amendment was needed for reallocation of the seats for the holding of next general elections, he added.
