ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is set to convene an important meeting on Sunday to scrutinize the results of the 2024 elections. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja will lead the meeting, where a comprehensive briefing on the February 8 elections and the delayed announcement of results is anticipated.
Unofficial results for 252 National Assembly (NA) seats out of 265 have already been released by the ECP. Independent candidates are in the lead with 100 seats, followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 71 seats.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) secured 54 NA seats, while MQM-P clinched 17, and both IPP and JUI have secured two seats each. PML-Q has secured three seats, and MWM, PML-Z, and BNP each clinched victory on two NA seats.
The ongoing vote count is taking place against the backdrop of significant challenges, including a countrywide internet and mobile shutdown, instances of political violence, and terror attacks. Despite these challenges, millions of Pakistanis exercised their right to vote to elect representatives for a five-year term.
The meeting is expected to serve as a platform for in-depth discussions on the intricacies of the election results and address any concerns or queries that may have arisen during the process. It holds particular importance in the context of the high stakes and keen interest surrounding this electoral cycle.
This election saw a total of 17,816 independent and party-affiliated candidates contesting for 265 National Assembly seats, 296 Punjab Assembly seats, 130 Sindh Assembly seats, 113 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) seats, and 51 Balochistan seats.
Notably, polling was held in 855 constituencies out of 859, with exceptions due to unfortunate circumstances such as the death of a candidate in NA 8, PP 266, PK 22, and PK 91, where voting will not be held. The meeting will likely provide valuable insights into the outcome of this closely watched and pivotal electoral process.
