500k special people, 3,000 trans persons to cast vote

4.1 million members of minority communities will also participate in elections to cast their votes

KARACHI:

As millions of Pakistanis will exercise their right to vote in the general elections scheduled for February 8, more than 500,000 people with disabilities, 3,000 transpersons, and 4.1 million members of minority communities will also participate in the elections to cast their votes.

Among the eligible voters with special needs in Sindh, the majority face physical challenges, with 7,000 being visually impaired, as per details shared by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Among the registered voters, there are 2,255,706 male and 1,942,423 female from diverse religious backgrounds.

There are 2,363,845 minority voters in Sindh, 1,686,000 in Punjab, 53,288 in Balochistan, 47,725 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and 47,256 in Islamabad. Moreover, 3,084 members of the transgender community will exercise their right to vote across the country, with 549 in Sindh, 2,260 in Punjab, 162 in K-P, 101 in Balochistan, and 12 in Islamabad. The data further shows that there are more than 520,000 special voters nationwide, including over 344,000 men, who will participate in the voting process on February 8 at different polling stations. Among the eligible voters with special abilities across the country, approximately 35,000 are visually impaired.

In adherence to the rules and regulations of the ECP, special persons or the elderly unable to cast their votes independently can do so with the assistance of another person, granted permission by the presiding officer. The presiding officer will register both on a prescribed form and include it in the record. The Korangi district in Karachi has the highest number of special voters at 4,914, followed by 4,433 in Hyderabad, 4,419 in Dadu, 4,333 in Karachi South, 4,187 in Khairpur, and 4,144 in Shikarpur. Of the special voters in Sindh, 69,000 are physically challenged, and 8,673 mentally challenged.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2024.