ISLAMAABD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has received 1,324 objections on the preliminary delimitation of constituencies and will start hearing on the matter from November 1 at its headquarters.
The ECP had extended the deadline to file objections until 12 pm on October 27 for the convenience of the general public.
Out of the 1,324 objections from the provinces and the federal capital, 672 were submitted in Punjab, 228 in Sindh, 293 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 124 in Balochistan, and seven in Islamabad.
“The Election Commission will commence hearings on these 1,324 objections starting from November 1, 2023. Benches have been constituted for these hearings,” said the electoral watchdog. Notices have also been sent to the objectors for hearings scheduled for November 1 and 2. After the hearings, the final publication of the constituencies will be made on November 30.
To hear the objections, two benches have been formed. The first bench will hold hearings on November 1 at 10 am, addressing objections related to delimitation in districts including Islamabad, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Sialkot, Khuzdar, and Rajapur. The second bench will conduct hearings on objections regarding Kurram, Khyber, Nankana Sahib, Attock, Jhelum, Kohat, and Korangi.
On November 2, the first bench will hold a hearing regarding Malir, Sanghar, Swat, Haripur, Chakwal, and Pishin, while the second bench will conduct a hearing about Mardan, Karachi East, Musa Khel, Lodhran, Noshero Feroz, Hub, Lasbela, and Awaran.
Political analysts have raised concerns about a possible delay in the polls extending past January. Some have noted that no political party appears to be in “election mode,” and others have pointed out the potential challenges posed by the “harsh weather” during the winter months, which could impact the polling process.
The country has been in political uncertainty since the removal of the Imran Khan government through a no-confidence motion in April 2022.
A coalition government that took over after Imran Khan’s ouster dissolved the National Assembly on August 9 of this year.
Following the premature dissolution of national and provincial assemblies, the ECP was required to hold elections within the 90-day time period, meaning the polls should take place no later than November 6.
However, the ECP stated that it was constitutionally bound to redraw boundaries ahead of the elections, as the Council of Common Interest (CCI) had approved the census. Therefore, holding elections within the stipulated time period was not possible.
Key political parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and others, urged the ECP to hold elections as soon as possible to end the prevailing uncertainty in the country.
In September, the uncertainty was partially resolved when the Election Commission announced that it would hold elections in the last week of January. In the same month, the ECP also released the provisional report on the delimitation of constituencies based on the recently concluded census, moving a step closer to the much-anticipated general elections.
