Elections 2024 Pakistan
Today, over 128 million voters in Pakistan are gearing up to cast their ballots and selecting representatives for the national and provincial assemblies. This election, deemed one of the most unpredictable in the country’s political history, marks a crucial moment for the future direction of governance.
The upcoming election will feature the familiar competition between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). However, the PTI, led by Imran Khan, will participate without its signature symbol, the bat, following a Supreme Court ruling that deemed its intra-party elections 2024″unconstitutional.”
This ruling implies that PTI candidates will participate in the elections 2024 as independent contenders.
Certain religious groups have nominated a more significant number of candidates compared to other political parties. Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Jamat-e-Islami (JI) have emerged as prominent platforms for numerous contestants. In particular, TLP has put forth many candidates, surpassing even traditional political parties in the competition for provincial assemblies.
ECP’s arrangements
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has made comprehensive arrangements in collaboration with various allied departments, including law enforcement agencies (LEAs).
Roughly 18,000 candidates nationwide are vying for the support of registered voters, who amount to 128,587,760, competing for approximately 855 general seats in the National and Provincial Assemblies.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared February 8 a public holiday to ensure voters can vote conveniently and without hindrance.
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Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared a strict prohibition on any campaigning within a 400-meter radius of a polling station. Furthermore, the ECP emphasized that neither candidates nor their polling agents or supporters are allowed to disrupt or obstruct the official proceedings in any way.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has classified over 17,500 polling stations as highly sensitive, 32,508 as sensitive, and 42,500 as usual, out of 92,500 nationwide.
Additionally, the ECP has successfully trained approximately 1.49 million election staff members to ensure the efficient implementation of the electoral process.
The Commission has set up an Election 2024 City within its premises, furnished with state-of-the-art technology to relay election results from 855 constituencies to the media promptly.
A thorough strategy has been devised to receive election results through various channels, including WhatsApp, email, and fax. Additionally, the ECP has established an alternative website to guarantee uninterrupted dissemination of results in case of disruptions.
The Election 2024 Management System (EMS) is designed to operate seamlessly even without internet connectivity. In areas with limited internet access, satellite communication arrangements have been implemented to ensure uninterrupted functionality.
Election 2024 Management System (EMS)
Within the Election 2024 Management System (EMS), the photo of Form 45, prepared by the Presiding Officer and containing the polling station’s results, will be promptly transmitted to the respective Returning Officer. These results will then be compiled on Form-47 for the constituency, forwarded to the ECP, and shared with the media.
If there are connectivity issues, the results will be compiled using offline modules.
Security for elections 2024
The government has deployed more than 648,000 security personnel across the nation to guarantee voters’ safety and ensure a fair and transparent polling process.
Furthermore, all necessary arrangements have been completed by the government to conduct the elections 2024 safely, fairly, and transparently.
Among the 648,000 security personnel deployed, 137,000 originate from the army and paramilitary forces, while 511,000 are police officers assigned to elections 2024 duties.
On average, seven to eight security personnel will operate each of the 90,777 polling stations nationwide.
Fair Election Network (FAFEN)
In the primary tier, the police force will be responsible for duty, supported by civil armed forces in the second tier and the armed forces in the third tier.
Additionally, a dedicated aerial Quick Reaction Force (QRF) has been established to respond to unforeseen incidents, particularly in Balochistan province swiftly.
To enhance security measures, CCTV cameras and other modern surveillance equipment have been installed to maintain peace and security on election day.
Moreover, the Ministry of Interior has implemented a national crisis information management system to monitor the electoral process continuously.
Elections 2024 Act, 2017
According to a statement by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), a total of 280 female candidates have been nominated by 111 political parties to contest the elections 2024 for general seats. This constitutes 4.6 percent of the overall 6,037 candidates put forth by these parties.
As per Section 206 of the Elections 2024 Act, 2017 (Selection for Elective Offices), political parties are mandated to guarantee a minimum of five percent representation of women candidates when selecting candidates for general seats for elective offices, such as membership of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) and Provincial Assemblies. This selection process must adhere to transparent and democratic procedures.