ECP reduces NA seats to 336 in latest constituency update

Electoral watchdog declares general elections on February 8, 2024, following release of constituency lists

ISLAMABAD:

In its recent notification detailing the final list of constituencies, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has adjusted the number of National Assembly (NA) general seats to 336, indicating a reduction of six seats, APP reported on Sunday.

The revised constituency list reflects a decrease in the NA's general seats from 272 to 266, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (KP) representation dwindling from 51 seats to 45.

Following the delimitation process, the NA seats for the merged districts have been halved from 12 to six, in adherence to the 25th Constitutional Amendment. This adjustment, prompted by the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with KP, is rooted in population considerations.

The allocation of general seats in the NA is as follows: Punjab, 141; Sindh, 61; Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 45; Balochistan, 16; and three from Islamabad.

Read ECP ahead of its schedule for elections, says CEC

Additionally, women will have 60 reserved seats, while minorities will be allocated 10 seats. Punjab will have a total of 371 seats, with 297 designated as general seats, while Sindh will have 168 seats, with 130 being general seats. The K-P Assembly will consist of 145 seats, with 115 being general seats, and the Balochistan Assembly will have 65 seats, including 51 general seats.

Notably, three Waziristan districts - Lower South, Upper South, and North - now share a single seat, consolidating their previous individual representations. South Waziristan, previously split into two districts, and North Waziristan, which had one seat each, now share a combined representation.

Furthermore, the former FATA district of Orakzai has merged with Hangu, resulting in the amalgamation of their respective seats into a single constituency. Two seats in Kurram district, previously divided on sectarian lines, have now been unified.

In the 1973 delimitation, ex-FATA had eight NA seats, aligning with the previous census. During General Pervez Musharraf's administration, the merged districts were allocated 12 seats.

The ECP has officially announced general elections for February 8, 2024, following the recently disclosed constituency lists.