The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken a crucial step towards the February 2024 general elections by releasing the final delimitation list for constituencies in the National Assembly (NA) and provincial assemblies.
As per the notification, the National Assembly will comprise a total of 266 general seats, 10 reserved seats for non-Muslims, and 60 reserved seats for women, bringing the overall total to 336. The provincial breakdown includes Balochistan with 20 seats, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 45, Sindh with 75, and Punjab with 141 general seats.
In the provincial legislatures, the breakdown includes Balochistan with 51 general seats, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 115, Sindh with 130, and Punjab with 297 general seats. The provincial assemblies also have reserved seats for women and non-Muslims.
The final delimitation list incorporates changes based on representations filed against the preliminary list, with Karachi South gaining one NA seat, and Sanghar losing one. Additionally, several provincial assembly seats have been adjusted across various districts.
The release of the delimitation list follows controversy and discussions on population quotas and adherence to legal provisions. Electoral experts have contested the ECP’s interpretation, emphasizing the need to prioritize legal provisions over administrative rules.
The upcoming February 2024 general elections are now more tangible with the finalization of the delimitation list, setting the stage for a crucial democratic process in Pakistan. Stay tuned for further updates on electoral developments.
Under the final notification, the number of National Assembly seats for Karachi South has increased from two to three, while Sanghar has lost one of its three seats.
In addition, Malir, Karachi East and Karachi Central have got one additional provincial assembly seat each. The provincial assembly seats of Malir have increased from five to six, while the number of seats for Karachi East and Karachi Central has increased from eight to nine each.
Likewise, Khairpur, Sanghar and Thatta have lost one provincial seat each. The provincial assembly seats of Khairpur have come down from seven to six, Sanghar’s seats from six to five and Thatta’s seats from three to two.
In all, 1,327 representations had been filed against delimitation for the National and provincial assembly constituencies — with a majority of them (675) coming from Punjab alone.
The addition of six tribal districts have taken KP’s NA tally from 39 to 45. Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Kurram have gained NA seats, while Tank’s separate seat has been merged with Dera Ismail Khan.
This addition was possible because the consitutional amendment that gave cover to this move was passed when the tribal districts were initially merged into the province.
