PESHAWAR: More than 128.5 million registered voters in Pakistan would decide the fate of 175 political and religious parties during the upcoming general election to be held on February 08, 2024.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) data, total registered voters in Pakistan are 128,585,760 including 69,263,704 male and 59,322,056 female, who would decide the fate of about 175 political and religious parties on February 8, 2024.
The Returning Officers (ROs) on Tuesday issued public notice for filing of nomination papers for the national and provincial assemblies seats, paving the way for smooth conduct of general election.
Chief Secretary Khyber Pathunkhwa, Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry while addressing district returning officers here said that today was a very important day in the country’s election history after the ROs had issued public notice, inviting candidates to file nomination papers for the national and provincial assemblies seats.
He assured the Deputy Returning Officers (DROs) all-out support in conduct of free, fair and transparent elections in Khyber Pakthunkhwa and said that conducting the general election was a national obligation and together we would be able to hold free, fair and transparent elections in the country.
Urging people and government departments to unite for election, he directed the relevant authorities to ensure accessibility of persons with disability voters to the polling stations so that they could easily exercise their right of vote on February 08, 2024.
According to ECP’s election schedule for 2024 general election, nomination papers could be filed with respective returning officers by the candidates on December 20-22, 2023 while names of all nominated candidates would be published on December 23.
Similarly, December 24-30 has been fixed as the last date for filing of appeals against decisions of the Returning Officers regarding rejection/acceptance of nomination papers while the last date for deciding appeals by the Appellate Tribunal was January 03, 2024.
The last date for deciding appeals against decisions of the Returning Officers regarding acceptance or rejection of appeals by the appellate tribunal is January 10, 2024 while a revised list of candidates would be published on January 11.
The publication of the revised list of candidates has been fixed as January 12 while election symbols to candidates would be allotted on 13th January and polling would be held on February 08, 2024.
This election program would also apply to the seats reserved for women and non-Muslims in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, KP and Balochsitan provinces. The last date of filing of a separate priority list for seats reserved for women and non-Muslims before the Returning Officer is December 22, 2023.
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued guidelines for candidates filing nomination papers for seats of national and provincial assemblies. Fee of obtaining one nomination paper’s form is fixed as Rs10, and one candidate can submit a maximum five nomination papers with different proposers/seconders.
The fee for submission of a nomination paper for a national assembly seat is Rs30,000 and Rs20,000 for a provincial assembly seat that was non- refundable. The fee of nomination paper could either be submitted directly to the Returning Officer or through bank draft in RO’s name in any National Bank of Pakistan’s branch and its receipt should be attached with the nomination form.
“The people eagerly await the 2024 election to decide the fate of about 175 political-religious parties,” said Professor Dr. A.H Hilali, former chairman, Political Science Department, University of Peshawar.
“We have seen the performance of almost all mainstream political parties including PPP, PMLN, JUIF, ANP, Jamaat e Islami, PTI and MQM in last two decades in Pakistan where people are closely seeing what are new in its election manifestos,” he said.
He said that PPP leadership was taking credit of BISP assistance, 1973 Constitution, development works in Sindh and 18th Constitutional Amendment while PMLN was advocating for constructing motorways, Lawari Tunnel, restoration of peace in KP and Karachi and atomic tests at Chagi in 1998.
Similarly, he said that ANP was trying to attract voters about renaming NWFP as Khyber Pakthunkhwa and construction of universities in the province while PTI leadership was highlighting Sehat Card, BRT and Ehsas program.
He said that Istehkam e Pakistan Party and PTI Parliamentarians were the newly established parties whose leaders were in the field informing the masses about their programs and development initiatives if voted to power.
Meanwhile, the ECP issued criteria of eligibility of contesting candidates of national and provincial assemblies seats. The candidates should be the citizen of Pakistan having 25 years of age at the final date of filing of nomination paper. The candidate should be a registered voter in any part of Pakistan for national assembly and of the province contesting for provincial assembly’s seats.
