The PML(N) has given indication to move the court against new delimitation of the constituencies as its main leaders have some objections because their old electoral constituencies have been disturbed badly. Earlier MQM and other parties have also raised eyebrows on delimitation too but these parties did not talk significantly to take the matter to the courts of law.
Now when the expected elections are two months away, at this time the knocking on the doors of the court on new delimitations could be a tactic to delay the polls. But on the other hand almost all the political parties have demanded the early elections as the majority of the leadership of the country is of the opinion that only timely elections can drag Pakistan out of the crises.
PML(N) should be realized that with the increase in papulation the demography of the constituencies was changed during the last five years, and making of new delimitation of constituencies was necessary and it is quite obvious that the old constituencies would be definitely altered.
Earlier the Election Commission of Pakistan had issued the preliminary list of new delimitations and gave one-month time to raise any objections on it. In the response the Election Commission received some 1324 objections on delimitations, which were reviewed within one month and ECP issued the final list on 30th November. As the constitution provided limited authority to the Election Commission, and it had to work within the narrow margin so the raising of objections was quite natural.
If PML(N) thinks that it is a popular party among the people and its vote bank is unruffled, then it should have not any problem with the new constituencies and if it had some objections on the formation of new constituencies, then it should had been contacted with ECP within the stipulated period of time. Now the party must apprehend that if the election would have been delayed due to the litigation, the other parties would throw entire debris of postponement of the election on its shoulders. This is the time for all the political parties to get prepared for the elections instead of making efforts to delay them. If PML(N) would prefer the court proceedings, then it would be only practice to waste the time at this stage.
It is a very interesting fact, that the new delimitations are only valid for the upcoming elections so it may be called as provisional delimitations, because the next parliament would have to enhance the seats of national and provincial assemblies, in the light of recently held digitized census in the country. With the increase of seats, the new delimitations of constituencies would be necessary. The increase of seats in the parliament does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission, but the parliament has the right of legislation on the matter.
It would be better for all the political parties to resolve such matters on the political forum instead of going to the courts at this juncture of time to evade the impression of making efforts for adjournment of the polls, as now the political situation demands full focus on elections from these parties only, so that the atmosphere of electioneering may be built, which is still missing in the country.