The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has unveiled an incomplete polling scheme for the forthcoming February 8 elections nationwide, omitting details for 10 national and provincial assembly constituencies.
As per available information, preparations for the general elections have reached their final stages. The ECP's released polling scheme reveals that over 1.7 million staff members will be deployed across 91,809 polling stations to facilitate the voting process for more than 128.5 million eligible voters.
The breakdown of the polling scheme indicates that 91,809 polling stations will be established countrywide, with 96,812 presiding officers, 64,000 assistant presiding officers, and 307,000 polling officers delivering services. In specific regions, 51,821 polling stations will be erected in Punjab, 19,236 in Sindh, 15,737 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5,015 in Balochistan, and 990 in Islamabad.
To manage the polling process effectively, the ECP plans to appoint 526,123 polling officers in Punjab, 264,000 in Sindh, 166,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 50,491 in Balochistan, and 8,704 in Islamabad.
The ECP reports a total of 128,585,000 registered voters nationwide, comprising 69,263,000 male voters and 59,322,000 female voters. In terms of regional distribution, Punjab boasts 73,207,896 voters, Sindh 26,994,769, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 21,928,119, Balochistan 5,371,947, and Islamabad 1,083,029.
Notably, the polling schedule for four National Assembly constituencies and four Provincial Assembly constituencies from Punjab remains undisclosed by the Election Commission. Furthermore, specific polling details from National Assembly Constituencies NA 51 to 54 in Punjab, along with NA 77, have not been included in the polling scheme.
Similarly, the polling scheme for ten Punjab Provincial Assembly seats, including PP six to 11, is also conspicuously absent from the released list. These omissions raise questions about the comprehensive nature of the polling schedule and the need for clarity and transparency in the electoral process.
