In preparation for the upcoming 2024 general elections next month, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) held a significant meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

The meeting, attended by members and officials including the Secretary of Interior, Aftab Akbar Durrani, primarily focused on reviewing security measures and discussing the transfers of Inspectors General and Deputy Commissioners.

Post-meeting, Aftab Akbar Durrani headed to the Prime Minister’s House and expressed confidence in meeting the required numbers for security personnel during the elections.

Official data released by the ECP revealed that out of 3,240 candidates aiming to contest at the national and provincial levels, their nomination papers were rejected by returning officers (ROs). Specifically, 1,024 candidates were disqualified for the National Assembly elections, while 2,216 were denied approval for the provincial assembly race.

Among the total 25,951 submissions, ROs approved 22,711 candidates. For the National Assembly, 6,449 candidates obtained approval, while 1,024 faced rejection. In terms of provincial assembly seats, 16,262 nominations were accepted. Punjab witnessed the highest number of rejections (521) for National Assembly nominations, followed by Sindh (166), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (152), Balochistan (92), and Islamabad Capital Territory (93).