ISLAMABAD – The country is poised to elect next Parliament today (Feb 8) for five years with thorough preparations arranged by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in collaboration with other departments.
Around 18,000 candidates nationwide are vying for 855 general seats across the national and provincial assemblies.
The polling will continue from 8am to 5pm without any break for the 12th general elections in the country.
The government has already declared February 8 (today) as a public holiday to ensure smooth polling.
The ECP has established 90,675 polling stations – 25,320 for men and 23,952 for women – across the country. The number of joint polling stations is 41,403.
The electoral body said that it printed 260 million ballot papers and successfully transported the election material to all the polling stations.
The ECP issued directives to presiding officers and returning officers to follow guidelines on Form-45 – which shows final vote count of each candidate.
To ensure seamless conduct of the electoral process, the ECP has trained approximately 1.49 million election staff. An Election City has also been established within the ECP premises to swiftly disseminate results of 855 constituencies to the media.
Strategies have been devised to receive election results via WhatsApp, email, and fax. Additionally, an alternative website has been set up to ensure uninterrupted dissemination of results in case of disruptions, with the Election Management System (EMS) designed to function even without internet connectivity.
To ensure safety, the government has deployed over 648,000 security personnel nationwide, including 137,000 from the army and paramilitary forces to guard 90,777 polling stations.
Additionally, the Aerial Quick Reaction Forces (QRFs) have been established in Balochistan after 28 people were killed while over 40 others suffered injuries after back-to-back blasts hit Balochistan’s Pishin and Qila Saifullah on Wednesday.
The Interior Ministry has set up a national crisis information management system to monitor the electoral process round the clock, with the Election Monitoring and Complaint Centre (EMCC) established to address voter grievances.
The District Returning Officers (DROs) and Returning Officers have been bestowed with first-class magisterial powers under Section 193 of the Elections Act 2017.
As many as 280 women candidates also contesting the 2024 elections on general seats, in compliance with Section 206 of the Elections Act 2017, ensuring representation of women candidates.
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