SHANGLA: Political parties have objected to the recent delimitation of the provincial assembly constituencies here insisting the Election Commission of Pakistan`s exercise is meant to benefit the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the Feb 8 general elections.

Shangla district has one National Assembly constituency, NA-11, and three provincial assembly constituencies, including PK-28 Shangla-I, PK-29 Shangla-II and PK-30 Shangla-III.

It had two PA seats ahead of the recent digital population census and delimitation.

Most mainstream parties expressedsatisfaction with the initial delimitation and started preparing for elections, while some people formally requested the ECP for changes to the provincial assembly constituencies.

On Nov 27, the ECP issued the final list of constituencies with major changes prompting the Pakistan Tehreek-i-1nsaf, Jamaat-i-1slami, Jamiat Ulema-i-1slamFazl, Awami National Party and Pakistan Peoples Party to challenge it the Peshawar High Court`s Swat Bench and Supreme Court.

However, all those petitions were rejected by the courts declaring that after the issuance of the election schedule, changes to delimitation were not possible.

Chakisar tehsil is mostly affected by the delimitation as its parts were divided and included all three provincial constituencies in the district. Its towns Sarkol and Taloon in PK-28, Opal and Danakol in Alpuri`s PK-30 and the rest of areas included in PK-29 consisting of Martung, Puran andChakisar tehsils.

Chagam, the native town of PML-N provincial president Amir Muqam, as well as Sanila and Sondai areas in Puran tehsil were added into Alpuri`s constituency PK-30 after exclusion from PK-29.

After the delimitation of PK-28 Bisham, the new constituency covers Bisham and Kana tehsils with two village councils of Chakisar tehsil. In the initial delimitation, PK-28 comprised Chakisar and Bisham and two union councils of Kana. PK-29 consisted of Martung and Puran tehsils and PK-30 of Alpuri and Kana tehsil.

Sher Alam Khan of the Jamaat-iIslami in Chakisar and likely candidate for election PK-29, said changes were made to constituencies under a conspiracy by the PML-N.

He complained about the inclusion of`half of Puran tehsil` in Alpuri`s constituency PK-30 insisting the move is meant to benefit the PML-N.

Altaf Hussain advocate was awarded the PK-28 election ticket by the ANP but he isn`t the candidate from the area after the final delimitation.

He told Dawn that the final delimitation had provided one party with a `free hand to play in the electoral arena` leaving all others out.

`We`re not aware of the PML-N`s applications for changes to constituencies otherwise we would have formally moved the ECP in support of the previous delimitations,` he said.

Tehsil council chairman Sadeedur Rehman of the PTI claimed that the parties other than the PML-N would be hit by the final delimitations.

`Winning elections will now be tough for us all,` he said.