SHC rejects objections against delimitations in Shikarpur

A divisional bench of Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday rejected the objections against delimitations of National and Provincial Assemblies' constituencies in Shikarpur District.
Petitioner Ibrahim Jatoi had filed a petition in SHC against the delimitations of constituencies in Shikarpur district seeking reversal of these delimitations. The delimitations of National Assembly constituencies NA-198 & NA-199 along with the provincial assembly constituencies PS-7, 8 & 9 were challenged in the high court.
A division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar heard the petition. The SHC had sought the reply from Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the previous hearing of the petition.
The petitioner challenged the delimitations on the ground that delimitation commissioner had failed to follow the guidelines set in Section 20 of Election Act in which principles of delimitations had been set out.
The petitioner also alleged that delimitations were carried out in a manner to favour a particular group of candidates as some areas of PS-7 have been included in PS-9 and pleaded that these delimitations should be declared null & void.
The bench after hearing the parties concerned as well as ECP rejected the objections against the delimitations in Shikarpur district by disposing of the petition.
Meanwhile, the SHC sought the reply from National Database & Registration Authority (Nadra) on biometrics of inmates in prisons of the province and directed to furnish it with by August 23.
Justic Abdul Rasool Memon of the SHC observed that biometric of prisoners is necessary after he granted the time to the authority to submit the reply in a petition, which pleaded that due to lack of biometric system, a person having identical name with a convict is put in the prison in connivance with the administration of the prison. The counsel for petitioner, Shagufta Barni stated that the case is pending since 2013.
The Home Secretary Sindh told the court that the work has started on installation of biometric system in Central Jail & Malir Jail Karachi and Hyderabad Jail. He, however, pointed out the delay is being caused in making this system functional due to non-cooperation on part of Nadra. "If Nadra extends the cooperation, this system would be functional to scrutinize the prisoners," he maintained.
Nadra officials pleaded the court to grant time for submission of reply of the authority. The bench putting off the hearing of the petition for August 23 directed Nadra to furnish the reply by the next hearing of the case.