The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) addressed concerns over discrepancies in constituency population sizes in their recent delimitation scheme. They clarified that population parity should only be maintained within a district rather than across the entire province. In response to an analysis, possibly by the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen), the ECP stated that the analysis misinterpreted the initial delimitation report.
They emphasized that provincial quotas, not districts, were the basis for determining seats, leading to the discrepancies. However, electoral experts countered the ECP’s stance, referencing the Elections Act, which emphasizes that population variations should generally not exceed 10%. The ECP acknowledged other principles, such as administrative unit and homogeneity, which influenced their decisions and noted that only 64 constituencies had more than a 10% variation, for which reasons had been documented.
Upcoming ECP Activities and PTI’s Plea
The ECP plans to convene to discuss the potential of international observers for the forthcoming general elections. While the ECP has the authority to invite local and international monitoring, they have postponed a meeting discussing the election’s code of conduct to October 11.
Meanwhile, the PTI core committee has requested intervention from the chief justice, alleging that certain entities, including the ECP, are depriving citizens of their voting rights. They emphasized that holding elections within the 90-day limit after the National Assembly’s premature dissolution is a constitutional necessity. The PTI’s meeting details remain undisclosed, including its location and attendees.
 defends its recent delimitation scheme, emphasizing district-level parity. As electoral experts challenge their stance, the ECP also prepares for upcoming general election activities, including international monitoring.){kind=link}