By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL: In their separate press conferences here on Saturday, the MPA from upper Chitral, Syed Sardar Hussain Shah and district president of Awami National Party, Haji Eidul Hussain have demanded of Election Commission of Pakistan and the government to abstain from transposing one of its provincial assembly seats to other district on the basis of population.
They said that Chitral was area-wise the largest district of the province forming its one-fifth which extended from Arandu to Baroghil which are about 400 kms from each other and it was quite a joke to make such an immense area the constituency of one seat of provincial assembly.
They said that the area was a princely state at the time of independence of Pakistan which opted voluntarily to merge to with the country but it was kept away from development process and it was four months ago when it got an all-weather road to connect with the rest of the country.
The political leaders rejected the results of the census contending that it did not show the actual population of the district which, in fact, touched a million while as it has been showed 447000 which was quite less than half of its actual strength.
“About half-a-million population of Chitralis are residing in the cities of Peshawar, Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Gilgit in connection with business or employment but they were not enumerated by the field staff of census as residents of Chitral”, they lamented
“The historical status, the strategic location, immensity of area and backwardness of the district warranted that its quota of provincial assembly seats should have been increased by one making its strength to three but they were highly disappointed of the impending loss of one seat instead of increase”, they added.
They warned the government of complete boycott of the forthcoming general elections by the political parties in Chitral if they were deprived of their provincial assembly seat while agitation will also be launched against the decision in the length and breadth of Chitral.
