By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) published the final delimitation list of constituencies for national and provincial assemblies on Thursday, paving the way for general elections in February 2024.
The announcement came amid petitions seeking the postponement of the polls in some districts of Balochistan province, citing security concerns and harsh weather conditions.
The National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, has 336 seats, of which 266 are general seats, 10 are reserved for non-Muslims and 60 for women. The provincial assemblies have 749 seats, of which 593 are general seats, 132 for women, and 24 for non-Muslims.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said it had followed the constitutional and legal provisions for the delimitation of constituencies, based on the population census of 2017.
However, some electoral experts and political parties have challenged the ECP’s interpretation of the law, arguing that the population of constituencies should be equalized across the province, not the district, to ensure fair representation.
They have also pointed out the wide variation in the size and shape of some constituencies, which could affect the voting patterns and outcomes.
The ECP said it had received 1,327 representations against the preliminary delimitation list, mostly from Punjab, the province with the largest population and the most seats.
The election authority had disposed of all the representations after hearing the parties and making necessary adjustments.
The final delimitation list reflects some prominent changes in the allocation of seats among the districts and provinces. Karachi, the largest city and the economic hub of the country, has gained one National Assembly seat and three provincial assembly seats, while Sanghar, a rural district in Sindh province, has lost one National Assembly seat.
The addition of six tribal districts, formerly known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has increased its National Assembly seats from 39 to 45. The tribal districts, which were merged with the province in 2018, have been given representation in the provincial assembly for the first time.
The ECP said it had completed the delimitation process well before the deadline of May 2024, as stipulated by the constitution, and is now ready to conduct the general elections, which are expected to be held in the second week of February 2024, according to the schedule announced by the president.
The general elections will be the third consecutive democratic transition of power in Pakistan, a country that has experienced several military coups and periods of authoritarian rule since its independence in 1947.
The announcement came a day after two separate petitions were filed before the ECP seeking the postponement of general elections in some districts of Balochistan province, citing security issues and snowfall.
One of the petitions, filed by Meena Majeed, a general councillor from Mand tehsil of Kech district, stated that Balochistan was grappling with heightened security concerns, especially in the Mekran division, where 61 acts of terrorism during the last three months alone claimed 32 lives.
“Specifically, the Mekran division has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, ranging from target killings of innocent daily wage earners to alarming incidents such as IED blasts and women suicide bombings,” the petition said.
The petitioner urged the ECP to accept the petition, postpone polling in Kech, and announce a fresh suitable, and appropriate schedule for election within the district, enabling the voters to exercise their right of franchise without fear and intimidation.
The other petition, filed by Toor Gul Khan Jogezai from Kila Saifullah Khan district, highlighted the impact of heavy snowfall in many districts and divisions of the country, which affects the daily routine of residents.
It stated that if elections were held in such areas, it was feared that the provincial or national assembly candidates would either lose their vote bank or voters would lose their votes in favor of their candidates.
Hence, it requested the ECP to postpone the elections to any other suitable time through which the citizens of such areas could participate in free and fair elections and elect representatives according to their choice for their constituencies.
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