QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court has directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold local government elections in Quetta at the earliest, dismissing all constitutional petitions related to delimitation and census.
The two-member bench comprising Justice Iqbal Ahmed Kasi and Justice Muhammad Najamuddin Mengal announced the decision on multiple petitions — Constitutional Petition Nos. 857/2022, 1283/2022, 1586/2023, and 1789/2023.
The court declared that the authority for delimitation lies exclusively within the constitutional domain of the Election Commission, and no evidence was presented to prove that any voter had been deprived of their right to vote.
It further observed that the petitioners failed to submit formal objections against delimitation and, therefore, the interim orders issued in 2023 were withdrawn.
The court emphasized that “the power and balance of the vote form the foundation of every electoral system” and made it clear that judicial intervention in the delimitation process does not fall within the court’s jurisdiction.
The BHC dismissed all petitions concerning local body elections and instructed the ECP to complete the electoral process without further delay.
