The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) clarified the seat distribution process on Monday, emphasizing that 266 general seats of the National Assembly were allocated to provinces based on population and in accordance with constitutional clauses and Election Rules.
In response to concerns raised by the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen), the ECP issued a statement, asserting that Fafen’s analysis was based on a misunderstanding of the criteria used for seat distribution.
The ECP recently published a preliminary report on the delimitation process, which involved rearranging electoral constituencies in light of the 2023 digital census. This included consolidating districts and adjusting seat numbers to balance constituency populations.
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Over the weekend, FAFEN reported that over one-fifth of constituencies exceeded a 10% population variation, urging the ECP to enhance the voter-friendliness of the representation process for draft constituencies.
The ECP clarified that Article 51 governed the distribution of the 266 National Assembly seats among provinces, taking into account the province’s allocated seats and population.
Furthermore, the ECP explained that National Assembly seats were allotted to each district as per Rule 8(2) of the Election Rules 2017, considering district populations and seat numbers.
The ECP’s statement stated, “The analysis of preliminary constituencies is based on a misunderstanding of the relevant provisions of the [Election] Act. FAFEN did not consider the district unit to determine the seats while analyzing the difference in population.”
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Additionally, the ECP highlighted that aside from population, other rules listed in Section 20 of the Elections Act, 2017, including administrative units and homogeneity, were considered during the initial delimitation.
The ECP stressed that the recent amendment to Section 20(3) of the Election Act reinforced the district as the basic unit for recording reasons in case of a 10% increase or decrease in constituency population.
The ECP also noted that population data and maps were available on their website, and instructions for submitting representations on the delimitations had been provided. Any errors found in the preliminary report would be addressed during objection hearings.
Regarding constituencies with over a 10% population difference, the ECP explained that there were 64 such constituencies, and appropriate reasons were provided for the variation. Fafen’s approach, considering the province as a unit, was deemed to have caused confusion.
Foreign Observers Meeting Scheduled for October 11
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is set to convene on October 11 to discuss inviting foreign observers for the upcoming general elections in late January next year. This meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, will provide a detailed briefing on inviting foreign observers and related arrangements.
Additionally, the ECP has postponed a consultative meeting with political parties on the code of conduct for the forthcoming general elections to October 11, originally scheduled for October 4.
