ISLAMABAD: A total of 5,254 candidates from various political parties and independents are in the running for the 266 general seats of the National Assembly (NA) in the forthcoming General Elections 2024, local media reported while quoting the electoral body on Friday.
Out of the 6,999 candidates initially declared eligible for the 266 NA constituencies, 1,737 candidates, constituting 24.81% of the total, withdrew their nomination papers during the process.
Moreover, 12,853 contestants are competing for 593 general seats in the four provincial assemblies. Following scrutiny, 17,164 persons were deemed eligible to participate in the elections for the assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sources further said that 4,233 candidates decided against participating in the elections and withdrew their nomination papers.
On January 28, the ECP had released comprehensive polling schemes for the upcoming General Elections 2024, outlining the establishment of a total of 90,675 polling stations nationwide.
The data provided by the ECP indicated that 25,320 polling stations are designated for men, 23,952 for women, and 41,403 joint polling stations for both men and women.
Breaking down the figures, the ECP specified that Punjab would have the highest number of polling stations at 50,944, followed by 19,006 in Sindh, 15,697 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 5,028 in Balochistan.
According to the ECP, a total of 276,398 polling booths will be established across the country, with 128,846 polling booths for women and 147,552 for men.
