ISLAMABAD: Over 128.5 million registered voters in Pakistan would decide the fate of 175 political and religious parties in the forthcoming general election, scheduled for February 8, 2024.

As the country is heading towards much-sought-after polls next year, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) released data showing the total number of registered voters in Pakistan. According to the data, the total registered voters in Pakistan are 128,585,760 including 69,263,704 male and 59,322,056 female, who would decide the fate of about 175 political and religious parties on February 8, 2024.

Yesterday, the Returning Officers (ROs) issued public notice for filing of nomination papers for the national and provincial assemblies’ seats, paving the way for smooth conduct of general election.

Addressing district returning officers (DROs) in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry said that today was a very important day in the country’s election history after the ROs had issued public notice, inviting candidates to file nomination papers for the national and provincial assemblies’ seats.

He assured the DROs all-out support in conduct of free, fair and transparent elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said that conducting the general election was a national obligation and together “we would be able to hold free, fair and transparent elections in the country”.

Urging people and government departments to unite for election, he directed the relevant authorities to ensure accessibility of persons with disability voters to the polling stations so that they could easily exercise their right of vote on February 08, 2024.

Meanwhile, the ECP issued guidelines for candidates filing nomination papers for seats of national and provincial assemblies. Fee for obtaining one nomination paper’s form is fixed as Rs10, and one candidate can submit a maximum five nomination papers with different proposers/seconders.

The fee for submission of a nomination paper for a national assembly seat is Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 for a provincial assembly seat was non- refundable.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 20 2023

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