Cantt delimitation row deepens

Former elected members of the Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment Boards have unanimously rejected the new delimitation of 20 wards carried out by the Election Commission, citing what they describe as "unnatural" division of localities and an inequitable distribution of voters. The former representatives announced that they will formally submit their objections to the Election Commission, along with 20 alternative draft proposals for ward boundaries. They alleged that, under a federal government notification, certain areas recently incorporated into the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) have, quite unexpectedly, been placed within the jurisdiction of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in the new delimitations. Following the completion of the tenure of elected members, the Election Commission undertook fresh delimitation of 20 wards across both cantonment boards ahead of new elections, along with a redistribution of voters. However, in the 10 wards of the RCB, neither population nor voter numbers have been apportioned on an equitable basis. For instance, Ward 1 comprises approximately 33,000 registered voters, whereas Ward 2 has around 64,000. Ward 3 contains 49,000 voters compared to 53,000 in Ward 4. Similarly, Ward 5 has 33,000 voters, Ward 6 has 32,000, Ward 7 has 14,000, and Ward 8 has 34,000, while Wards 9 and 10 have approximately 26,000 and 24,000 voters respectively. Former members contend that, in addition to this disparity, the territorial division of constituencies has been carried out on arbitrary and impractical lines. They further pointed out that areas such as IJP Road, Golra Morr, Chishtia Abad and Jhungi, which were formally included in the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board through a federal cabinet notification and where property tax assessments have already commenced, have not been incorporated into the relevant cantonment wards. Instead, these localities have reportedly been reassigned to the CDA in the new delimitation. A similar situation prevails in the 10 wards of the Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB), where, according to the former members, irregular and artificial boundary demarcations risk undermining the equitable provision of basic civic amenities. The former elected members of all 20 wards are set to file their objections with the Election Commission today (Wednesday)—the final date for submissions—alongside proposed drafts aimed at ensuring fair and balanced delimitation. Separate meetings of former members from both cantonment boards were held on Tuesday to finalise these objections and proposals.