ECP crafts strategy for creation of new constituencies

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has crafted a strategy for the creation of new constituencies throughout the nation. These constituencies will be established based on the prevailing seats, utilizing data from the recent digital population census.

The current count of seats in the National and Provincial Assemblies will remain unaltered. The constituencies will span from the northern to the southern regions of the country.

For the National Assembly, Punjab will be allocated constituencies based on a population of 950,595, Sindh on a population of 901,351, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on a population of 907,913, Balochistan on a population of 930,900, and Islamabad on a population of 787,954.

The allotment of seats for the Punjab Assembly Constituency will be 429,929, for the Sindh Assembly Constituency 428,431, for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Constituency 355,270, and for the Balochistan Assembly Constituency 209,247.

The Election Commission holds the authority to adjust constituency populations by up to 10% if necessary. Modifications might be introduced when natural barriers like rivers, mountains, and motorways intersect with existing boundaries. Additionally, the ECP can redraw district boundaries if deemed essential.

As per legal provisions, it’s possible to merge areas from two different districts into a single constituency. The upcoming constituencies will encompass 266 general seats in the National Assembly, 297 general seats in the Punjab Assembly, 130 seats in the Sindh Assembly, 51 seats in the Balochistan Assembly, and 115 seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.