Daily Times

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has slashed the number of National Assembly (NA) general seats to 336 after a reduction of six seats.

The revised constituency list reflects a decrease in the NA’s general seats from 272 to 266, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) representation dwindling from 51 seats to 45. Following the delimitation process, the NA seats for the merged districts have been halved from 12 to six, in adherence to the 25th Constitutional Amendment. This adjustment, prompted by the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with KP, is rooted in population considerations.

The allocation of general seats in the NA is as follows: Punjab, 141; Sindh, 61; Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 45; Balochistan, 16; and three from Islamabad. Additionally, women will have 60 reserved seats, while minorities will be allocated 10 seats. Punjab will have a total of 371 seats, with 297 designated as general seats, while Sindh will have 168 seats, with 130 being general seats. The K-P Assembly will consist of 145 seats, with 115 being general seats, and the Balochistan Assembly will have 65 seats, including 51 general seats. Notably, three Waziristan districts – Lower South, Upper South, and North – now share a single seat, consolidating their previous individual representations. South Waziristan, previously split into two districts, and North Waziristan, which had one seat each, now share a combined representation.

Furthermore, the former FATA district of Orakzai has merged with Hangu, resulting in the amalgamation of their respective seats into a single constituency.

Two seats in Kurram district, previously divided on sectarian lines, have now been unified. In the 1973 delimitation, ex-FATA had eight NA seats, aligning with the previous census. During General Pervez Musharraf’s administration, the merged districts were allocated 12 seats. The ECP has officially announced general elections for February 8, 2024, following the recently disclosed constituency lists.

Punjab: The provincial constituencies across 18 districts in Punjab have undergone modifications due to the creation of new districts and population increase, as indicated in the notification of final constituencies issued by the ECP recently. This adjustment, detailed in the latest notification of final constituencies from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), reflects the evolving demographic landscape. In response to these changes, the Commission strategically added and reallocated seats, ultimately keeping the total at 297.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has released the constituency delimitation details, indicating decrease in 15

constituencies of eight Punjab districts in accordance with the latest census results. Punjab has added five provincial assembly seats across five districts to address population growth. Additionally, despite allocating 10 seats to newly established districts, the total seats in the Punjab Assembly remain at 297.

Some districts gained seats, like Taunsa, Kot Addu, Murree, Talagang, and Wazirabad, while others, including Gujrat, Khushab, Rajanpur, and Kasur, saw reductions. Some districts experienced seat reductions, while others gained seats. Notable changes include additional seats for Taunsa, Kot Addu, Murree, Talagang, and Wazirabad, as well as one extra seat for Gujrat, Khushab, Rajanpur, and Kasur.

According to the ECP, there is a reduction of two seats in each of the districts of Rawalpindi, Chakwal, and Gujranwala. Additionally, Sialkot, Multan, and Lodhran each witness a decrease of one provincial assembly seat.

Similarly, Muzaffargarh sees a reduction of four seats, and Dera Ghazi Khan experiences a decrease of two seats.

According to the official notification, Taunsa now has two designated seats, Kot Addu has been assigned three, Murree secured one, Talagang acquired two, and Wazirabad received two seats. Furthermore, Gujrat, Khushab, Rajanpur, and Kasur have each been allotted one additional seat.