General elections in Pakistan in last week of January 2024: ECP

Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Thursday that general elections in the country will take place in the last week of January next year, media reports said.

The poll panel said a preliminary list of delimitations, which are being carried out in line with the new census, will be published on September 27, Geo News reported.

The ECP said it reviewed the progress on the delimitation process on Thursday and decided that the final list of constituencies will be published on November 30 after hearing the objections and suggestions related to the process.

Subsequently, the polls will be held in the last week of January next year following the completion of the 54-day election schedule, the ECP said in a statement, Geo News reported.

The ECP’s statement finally ended the uncertainty surrounding the elections as the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government's move to approve a new census mandated the electoral body to carry out new delimitation before holding polls, sparking fears of an undue delay, Geo News reported.

Following the premature dissolution of national and provincial assemblies in August this year, the ECP was required to hold elections within the 90-day stipulated time period, meaning the polls should take place no later than November 6.

However, the ECP said it was constitutionally bound to draw fresh boundaries ahead of the elections, hence holding elections within a 90-day time period was not possible.

Key political parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and others also urged the ECP to hold polls at the earliest to end the prevailing uncertainty in the country, Geo News reported.