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Election Commission of Pakistan Releases Eligibility Criteria Details for Candidates
The Election Commission has disclosed the specific eligibility criteria for candidates participating in the upcoming general elections. According to the commission’s guidelines, a candidate must be a Pakistani citizen residing in a city to qualify for a parliamentary seat. Additionally, the candidate must submit their nomination papers by the specified deadline, and they must be at least 25 years old.
National and Provincial Assembly Seats Eligibility Criteria
For a seat in the National Assembly, a candidate can be a voter from any part of Pakistan. However, for a seat in the Provincial Assembly, the candidate must be a voter from the relevant province. Notably, women candidates vying for specific seats in the National Assembly must be voters from the respective province.
Eligibility and Disqualification Details
The details of eligibility and disqualification for candidates are outlined in Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, as per the Election Commission. The approving authority for general seats must be a voter from the relevant constituency, while for non-Muslim seats, the approving authority can be a voter from any part of Pakistan.
Financial and Documentation Requirements
Candidates are required to open a special account in a scheduled bank for electoral expenses. If the account already exists, the candidate must provide details in the nomination papers. Submission of a bank statement is mandatory, along with a sworn affidavit and a stamp paper for verification. The candidate’s assets, as well as those of their spouse, children, or dependents, must be detailed in the nomination papers.
The cost for a candidate contesting a National Assembly seat is set at Rs30,000, and this fee is non-refundable. In contrast, the fee for a candidate running for a Provincial Assembly seat is Rs20,000, and this amount is also non-refundable.
Additional Guidelines
Candidates should specify “N/A” (Not Applicable) in sections where no relevant information is applicable in the nomination papers. The candidate must affix their latest photograph on the designated place on the nomination papers.
Voter Data for General Elections
The Election Commission has released voter data for the general elections scheduled for February 8th. The total number of voters in the country is 128,577,760, with male voters numbering 69,263,704 and female voters numbering 59,314,056.
In Islamabad, the number of voters is 1,083,029, with 568,406 male voters and 514,623 female voters. In Balochistan, there are 5,371,947 voters, with 3,016,164 male voters and 2,355,783 female voters.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 21,928,119 voters, including 11,944,397 male voters and 9,983,722 female voters. In Punjab, the total number of voters is 73,270,896, with 39,122,082 male voters and 34,148,814 female voters.
According to the Election Commission, Sindh has 26,994,769 voters, with 14,612,655 male voters and 12,382,114 female voters.