To adhere to the 266 seat-limit for the National Assembly, constituency boundaries have been redrawn, giving certain parties a distinct advantage in the region.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and political parties continue to achieve election-related milestones, amidst uncertainty over the prospects of the polls on Feb 8. Contentious issues have arisen throughout these efforts.
One of the most contentious processes was the delimitation carried out late last year. The discontent surrounding the exercise began at a meeting in August 2023, before the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9, 2023, which led to the approval of the results of the 2023 digital census.
Due to a subsequent constitutional amendment, the total number of general seats in the National Assembly had to remain the same—266—even though the population increased significantly.
According to the final delimitations published by the ECP, 141 seats are in Punjab, 61 in Sindh, 45 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 16 in Balochistan and three in Islamabad.
Despite the population increase, the number of seats remained fixed, leading to an increase in the province-wise quota of population for each seat. But, there was no opportunity for an increase in the total general seats.
The delimitation process led to significant changes in many constituencies across the country. This resulted in the reorientation of existing constituencies and the creation of new ones, with several objections being filed in response to the preliminary delimitation.
The major changes in the delimitation of constituencies took place in Punjab, where areas with less population were merged, and major urban centers saw significant variations from their previous boundaries.
Similar trends could be seen in other provinces as well, with concerns related to the major centers in KP, and underrepresentation in the provinces—especially in Balochistan.
In Sindh, there were some significant changes in the delimitation, with Districts Jacobabad and Kashmore being divided to accommodate them into two constituencies each, among other changes.
In Karachi, there were changes in the delimitation of various constituencies, with several objections being raised over the process.
Overall, the delimitation process led to dissatisfaction and protests, with allegations of gerrymandering, the disproportionate distribution of seats, and a lack of adherence to technical principles in many areas.