QUETTA: Balochistan Assembly has adopted a resolution on Saturday evening demanding increase in the National and provincial assembles seats and in Balochistan and urged upon the Election Commission of Pakistan to review the new proposed de-limitation in the province.

The Speaker Ms. Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani, who was presiding over the session, constituted a committee comprising parliamentary leaders of the political parties having representation in the house, to approach all elected senators and members National Assembly to ensure implementation on the resolution jointly moved in the house.

She also urged upon the Provincial Election Commissioner of Balochistan to remove the apprehensions of the public representatives regarding new de-limitations. It was also decided that Provincial Election Commissioner should be summon for briefing the legislators about the de-limitations in Balochistan.

The resolution was jointly moved by the provincial ministers and opposition members in the house. The Provincial Minster for Communication, Mir Asim Kurd presented the resolution on the behalf of 18 members and ministers. The resolution reads that despite increase in the population of Balochistan last year’s census, which reached 12.3 million, but the election commission of Pakistan has increased only three National Assembly sets in Balochistan according to the new limitations of constituencies’, while not a single seat was increased of the Provincial Assembly.

It demanded that the National Assembly seats should be increased district wise and at least 20 more Provincial Assembly seats should be added in the current 65 seats. The members of the assembly through resolution said that not only the problems of the people of the provinces could not be resolved at their door steps in big national and provincial assembly constituencies, but also there is apprehension of pitting different tribes with each others in the elections.

Mir Asim Kurd while speaking at the floor of the house suggested that all the districts of Balochistan should be declared national assembly constituency and Quetta district which had over two million population should be divided in five National Assembly constituencies. He said that in the new de-limitations in some constituencies five districts were merged.

Opposition leader Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal said that without consulting and knowing the maps of Balochistan, some people sitting in Islamabad did new de-limitations which are not acceptable to Balochistan. He said that in the new-de-limitations some constituencies comprising 800 to 1000 square kilometers and how a candidate would visit his constituency in limited time of his election campaign.

He said that all political parties rejected these new de-limitations of the national and provincial assemblies’ constituencies.

Home Minister, Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti said that he and some other MPAs and senator had take up the issue with the Prime Minister and he had empowered the provincial assembly members to prepare formula for the new de-limitations. However, Mr. Ziaratwal and then opposition leader Maulana Abdul Wasey did not supported our move and said that let federal government should do it.

Other members, who spoke on the resolution, include Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhel, Rehmat Baloch, Nasarullah Zerey, Dt. Hamid Achakzai, Dr. Ruquyia Saeed Hashmi, Mir Mujeeb-ur-Raham Muhammad Hasni, Deputy opposition leader Engineer Zamarak Khan Piralizai and others.