PPP agrees to get delimitation bill passed by Senate: sources

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has agreed to get a bill for new delimitation of constituencies passed by the Senate, sources said Sunday, following backdoor contacts with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

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 had been adopted by the National Assembly, however, the government had so far failed to get it approved by the Senate despite repeated attempts.

On November 17, voting on the bill was postponed for the required number of lawmakers were not present in the Senate. The house of 104 needed a two-thirds majority to pass the bill whereas less than 50 lawmakers were present in the house.

However, backdoor contacts between the PPP - which has a majority in the Senate - and the ruling PML-N have resulted in a conditional nod by the former.

Sources said the government has agreed to PPP's demand that it would hold only one election based on new delimitation.

The Senate is likely to adopt the bill in its session due to start from Monday (tomorrow), they added.

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.