Electoral process kicks off in Pakistan as polls regulator begins receiving nomination forms

Candidates for the seats reserved for women of a provincial assembly receive their nomination papers for the upcoming general election at the election commission office in Lahore on December 20, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 20 December 2023
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Electoral process kicks off in Pakistan as polls regulator begins receiving nomination forms

  • Over 128.5 million voters will decide fate of 175 political parties in general elections, ECP data shows
  • 69,263,704 male and 59,322,056 female voters registered to vote in general elections scheduled for Feb. 8

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday began the process of receiving nomination papers from potential candidates, a day after Returning Officers issued a public notice for nominations for national and provincial assembly seats, formally kicking off the electoral process for general elections due on Feb. 8.

Over 128.5 million registered voters in Pakistan will decide the fate of 175 political and religious parties in the 2024 election, latest data from the Election Commission of Pakistan shows, with candidates fighting for 266 National Assembly (NA) seats and 593 Provincial Assembly (PA) seats.

“Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP’s) data has revealed that total registered voters in Pakistan are 128,585,760 including 69,263,704 male and 59,322,056 female, who would decide the fate of about 175 political and religious parties,” state-run APP news agency said in a wide-ranging report on the electoral schedule and process.

ELECTION SCHEDULE

According to the ECP’s election schedule for 2024, candidates can file nomination papers with respective returning officers between Dec. 20-22 while the names of all nominated candidates will be published on Dec. 23.

Returning officers will scrutinize nomination papers between Dec. 24-30, while the last date for filing of appeals against the decision of the returning officers rejecting or accepting nomination papers would be completed on Jan. 3. The last date for deciding on appeals by an appellate tribunal will be Jan 10.


The ECP will publish the revised list of the candidates on Jan. 11 while the last date for withdrawal of candidature and publication of a revised list of candidates is Jan. 12. The polling body will allot election symbols to contesting candidates on Jan. 13 and polling will take place on Feb. 8.


“This election program would also apply to the seats reserved for women and non-Muslims in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochsitan provinces,” APP said.

The last date to file a separate priority list for seats reserved for women and non-Muslims before ROs is Dec. 22.

FEES

The fee to obtain one nomination form has been fixed as Rs10, and each candidate can submit a maximum of five nomination papers with different proposers and seconders. The non-refundable fee for submission of a nomination paper for a national assembly seat is Rs30,000 while it is Rs 20,000 for a provincial assembly seat.

The fee for a nomination paper can either be submitted directly to the RO or through a bank draft in the RO’s name to any National Bank of Pakistan’s branch, with the receipt attached with the nomination form.

Nomination papers can be obtained from respective returning officers between 8:30am to 4:30pm from Dec. 20-22. Nomination papers need to be submitted with attested copies of computerized national identity cards of the candidates and their proposers and seconders, vote certificates issued by the concerned office of the district election commissioner, candidates’ income tax returns of the last three years and passports.

ELIGIBILITY

The ECP has also issued a criterion for eligibility of contesting candidates for national and provincial assembly seats. A candidate should be a citizen of Pakistan who is at least 25 years old at the final date of filing of nomination papers . The candidate should be a registered voter in any part of Pakistan for the national assembly and of the province in which he or she is contesting for a provincial assembly seat.

It is mandatory for candidates of women’s reserved seats of the national assembly to be registered voters of that province and fulfill eligibility criteria mentioned in Articles 62-63 of the constitution, which deal with the qualifications and disqualifications of members of parliament.

The proposers and seconders of candidates contesting on general seats should be voters of the relevant constituency while proposers and seconders of national and provincial assembly women and non-Muslim seats should be voters of that province.

The proposers and seconders of candidates for national assembly seats of non-Muslims should be registered voters in any part of the country. The priority list issued by political parties for reserved seats needs to be attached with the nomination papers of the candidate while a special account for election expenses is required to be opened by the candidates in any scheduled bank, or details and bank statements provided of an already existing account.


Five militants killed, two apprehended in separate operations in Pakistan’s northwest

Updated 03 May 2025
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Five militants killed, two apprehended in separate operations in Pakistan’s northwest

  • A paramilitary troop was killed in Balochistan amid reports of attacks on a passenger bus and government buildings in the province
  • Pakistan has been battling twin insurgencies in its western provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan that border Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Five militants, belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), were killed and two others were apprehended in three separate operations in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Saturday.
Pakistani security forces killed three militants, including a high-value target, in an intelligence-based operation in KP’s Bajaur district, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
Two TTP militants were killed in the second operation in the North Waziristan district, while security forces busted a TTP hideout in the Mohmand district and arrested two members of the outlawed group.
“Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from these khwarij (TTP militants), who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other kharji found in the area.”
Pakistan has struggled to contain surging militancy in KP in recent years, where the Pakistani Taliban, or the TTP, have mounted their attacks against security forces and police since their fragile, months-long truce with Islamabad broke down in late 2022.
Late last month, the Pakistani military said it had killed 71 militants in three days of operations in the North Waziristan district that borders Afghanistan.
The number was usually high in Pakistan’s battle against militancy and instability along its border with Afghanistan during the nearly four years since the United States withdrew its military support from the country and the Taliban took over Kabul.
Islamabad has frequently accused Afghanistan of supporting the Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups, an allegation denied by Kabul.
Pakistan is also facing an intensifying separatist insurgency in the southwestern Balochistan province.
On Friday, a Levies paramilitary troop was killed in an attack on a check-post in Balochistan’s Kalat district, while there were reports of militant attacks on government buildings in Mangochar city, according to a Levies official.
“One Levies soldier was killed after gunmen targeted a Levies check-post in Kot Langove, an area of Kalat district,” Levies official Muhammad Ramzan told Arab News.
“Many armed militants obstructed the Quetta-Karachi highway in Mangochar and there are reports that many government buildings were torched in Mangochar Bazaar.”
The official said they were gathering more details about the incidents.
In another attack, armed men targeted a passenger bus heading to Karachi from Quetta in Khad Kocha area near Mastung.
“Six passengers were injured in the attack who were later shifted to Nawab Ghosh Bukhsh Memorial Hospital,” Mastung Deputy Commissioner Raja Atthar Abbas told Arab News.
“They were the same militants who attempted to take control of the highway in Kalat, but couldn’t succeed in blocking the road.”
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but suspicions are likely to fall on Baloch separatists.
In March, fighters from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) separatist group hijacked the Jaffar Express train in Balochistan’s Bolan region, holding hundreds of passengers hostage.
The military launched a rescue operation in which 354 passengers were freed and 33 militants were killed. Officials said the hijacking killed 31 soldiers, railway staff and civilians.


Pakistani kickboxer Abdullah Chandio defeats Jordanian opponent in Karate Combat-54 event in Dubai

Updated 03 May 2025
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Pakistani kickboxer Abdullah Chandio defeats Jordanian opponent in Karate Combat-54 event in Dubai

  • The 24-year-old defeated Jordan’s Ali Alqaisi via unanimous decision after three rounds
  • Chandio, who hails from Karachi, made an impressive international debut in October 2022

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani kickboxer Abdullah Chandio on Friday defeated his Jordanian opponent Ali Alqaisi in the Karate Combat-54 event in Dubai.
Chandio has been competing in the ongoing KC-54 championship in Dubai along with another Pakistani fighter Shahzaib Rind.
The 24-year-old defeated his Jordanian opponent via a unanimous decision after three rounds.
“The heat from multiple days all got unleashed tonight, and bother[ed] fighters gave it all they had,” Karate Combat wrote on their Instagram account.
“Abdullah Chandio takes the win after 3 intense rounds with Alqaisi.”
Karate Combat is a brand which promotes the first professional full-contact karate league. It has been hosting worldwide events since April 2018.
Chandio, 24, who hails from Karachi, made an impressive international debut in 2022 by knocking out his Indian opponent Muhammad Shuhaib in the BKK Kickboxing Championship in Dubai.


Pakistan test-fires surface-to-surface missile amid strained ties with India

Updated 03 May 2025
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Pakistan test-fires surface-to-surface missile amid strained ties with India

  • India-Pakistan tensions have soared after New Delhi blamed an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists on April 22, on Pakistan
  • Islamabad has denied involvement and said India was using the attack as a pretext to conduct strikes against Pakistan, vowing to defend its sovereignty

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has conducted a successful training launch of a surface-to-surface missile that has a range of 450 kilometers, the Pakistani military said on Saturday, amid heightened tensions with India.
India-Pakistan tensions have soared after New Delhi blamed an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists on April 22, on Pakistan. Islamabad has denied involvement and called for a credible international probe.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “full operational freedom” to respond to the attack, while Pakistan’s top military brass on Friday vowed to defend the country’s sovereignty after a minister said an Indian strike was “imminent.”
“Pakistan today conducted a successful training launch of the Abdali Weapon System — a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 kilometers, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
“The launch was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile’s advanced navigation system and enhanced manoeuvrability features.”
India and Pakistan have exchanged diplomatic barbs, expelled each other’s citizens and shut border since the April 22 attack. India has suspended the 1960 World Bank-brokered Indus Waters Treaty that ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, with Islamabad describing it as an “act of war.”
The two nuclear-armed countries have exchanged gunfire for nine consecutive nights along their de facto border in Kashmir, according to Indian defense officials. There has been no comment by the Pakistani military on the skirmishes.
There have been fears that the latest crisis between the nuclear-armed rivals who have fought three wars, including two over the disputed region of Kashmir, could spiral into a military conflict.
Saturday’s missile launch was witnessed by the senior military officials as well as scientists and engineers from Pakistan’s strategic organizations, according to the ISPR.
“The president, prime minister of Pakistan, chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, and services chiefs extended their congratulations to the participating troops, scientists and engineers,” it said.
“They expressed complete confidence in the operational preparedness and technical proficiency of Pakistan’s strategic forces to ensure credible minimum deterrence and safeguard national security against any aggression.”
Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947. The region is divided between the two countries, though both claim it in full.
Since 1989, several Kashmiri groups have carried out attacks in Indian-administered Kashmir, seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of supporting these groups — a charge Islamabad denies, insisting it offers only diplomatic and political support to Kashmiris.
The United Nations (UN), United States, China, which shares its border with Indian and Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and several other countries have urged restraint and asked both sides to resolve the latest crisis through dialogue.


Death toll from oil tanker explosion in Pakistan’s southwest rises to 11

Updated 55 min 46 sec ago
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Death toll from oil tanker explosion in Pakistan’s southwest rises to 11

  • The incident took place in Balochistan’s Nushki district on Monday afternoon when a tanker filled with fuel caught fire at an oil depot
  • Social media footage showed dozens of people fleeing the scene after the tanker exploded, with thick, black smoke rising into the sky

KARACHI: Nine injured of this week’s oil tanker explosion in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province have succumbed to their wounds, a spokesperson for the Edhi Foundation rescue service said on Saturday, bringing the death toll to 11.
The incident took place in Balochistan’s Nushki district on Monday afternoon when a tanker filled with fuel caught fire at an oil depot, leaving one man dead and injuring over 40 others.
In the footage widely shared on social media platforms, dozens of people could be seen fleeing the scene as the oil tanker exploded, sending plumes of thick black smoke and flames into the sky.
Twenty-four of the critically injured persons were airlifted to the southern port city of Karachi on Tuesday. Of them, one died mid-flight, while another nine people succumbed to wounds during treatment.
“Of the remaining 23 injured, 17 were admitted to Liaquat National Hospital and six to Patel Hospital [in Karachi],” Muhammad Amin, an Edhi Foundation official, told Arab News.
“Six patients died at Liaquat National Hospital and three others passed away during treatment at Patel Hospital.”
Nushki police said this week the tanker filled with fuel caught fire due to welding work nearby, and the driver drove away the burning vehicle from the oil depot and parked it in an open field where it exploded.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti had expressed grief over the incident and directed authorities to provide immediate medical care to the injured.
“A complete and transparent investigation into the Nushki incident has been ordered,” he was quoted as saying by local media.
Oil tanker explosions can be caused by several factors such as collisions, overheating of the engine or overfilling which can build unnecessary pressure on the tank.
In 2017, 212 people were killed in Pakistan when a tanker carrying 40,000 liters of fuel overturned after trying to make a sharp turn while traveling from Pakistan’s Karachi city to Lahore on a highway.


Empress Market: a Karachi commerce icon built to bury ashes of a rebellion

Updated 03 May 2025
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Empress Market: a Karachi commerce icon built to bury ashes of a rebellion

  • It was at this site where the British executed participants of the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny in the Indian Sub-continent
  • Unaware of its grim past, people visit the place for grocery shopping and to see its magnificent Gothic architecture

KARACHI: In the heart of Karachi’s Saddar neighborhood, the Empress Market stands as a towering relic of British colonial ambition, where the scent of fresh produce mingles with the sharp tang of spices, and shopkeepers hawk everything from live poultry to antique coins.
But few realize that underneath its ornate clocktower and gothic arches lies a darker, forgotten history that is stained by rebellion and retribution for those who took part in the 1857 uprising against British rule in the Indian Sub-continent.
It was at this site where the British executed scores of mutineers and their local sympathizers after they got to know of their plans and later constructed this magnificent market between 1884 and 1889 to prevent the place from becoming a commemorative site.
“The Empress Market building has a very unique architectural design, but apart from its design, its history is very interesting, which actually reveals why it was built in the first place,” Tania Ali Soomro, a Karachi-based architect, told Arab News this week, elaborating on the site’s grim past.
“The rebels of the freedom struggle would be punished here. The method of punishment was such that they would be tied in front of cannons and then fired upon.”
The 1857 mutiny, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, was a major uprising in India against the rule of the British East India Company, which began with a revolt by Indian soldiers of the Company in Meerut on May 10 that year and later spread to Delhi, Kanpur, Agra and Lucknow.
Though the uprising ultimately unsuccessful, it demonstrated the widespread discontent with British rule and paved the way for the rise of the Indian nationalist movement.
Historian Gul Hassan Kalmati notes in his book, ‘Karachi — Glory of the East,’ that following the failed rebellion, four mutineers, including Sooraj Bali Tivari and Ram Din Panday, were tied to the cannons and executed at the site of Empress Market.
Citing a confidential British document, titled ‘Secret document number D/223/1857, dated 14th September 1857, Secret Branch,’ Kalmati writes Tivari and Panday had led soldiers of the 21st Native Infantry Regiment, but two informants, Ram Bane and Lakhshman Gadari, alerted the British and thus failed the rebellion.
“The local people had started celebrating this place as a commemorative site. They would light oil lamps there and began to renovate it like a shrine,” Soomro said, adding this burgeoning memorial prompted the British to act.
“To erase this memory, the British decided to create something which is public and holds strong social value. As a result, the market was established at this location.”
In her book ‘The Dual City: Karachi During the Raj,’ Yasmeen Lari, a celebrated Pakistani architect, agrees with the notion.
“Although the imperialists were particular in commemorating significant events, it is not surprising that a plaque was not placed at the site of the Empress Market to mark the spot where native sepoys had been executed,” she writes.
The market was named in honor of Queen Victoria, the then Empress of India, with its Gothic architecture reflecting British authority with local adaptations.
“If we talk about the design, the architectural style of this building is Gothic, but it has been built in a somewhat localized and contextualized way,” Soomro said, adding the building was designed by James Strachan, who was an engineer.
“His distinct style, including linearity, pointed arch windows and the clock tower, can be seen across several buildings he designed, including DJ Science College and Sindh Madrasatul Islam [in Karachi].”
Lari describes the market as a “very handsome building designed in what is known as the ‘Domestic Gothic Style’.”
“While the use of the alien Gothic form was understandable, the presence of an atrium was highly unusual for the time,” she writes in her book.
“With a frontage of 231 feet on Preedy Street, its four galleries, each 46 feet wide, surround the generous size courtyard, 130 feet by 100 feet. The single-story building is not pretentious except for the tall central tower that rises to a height of 140 feet.”
The market was so beautiful that while praising it, Commissioner Pritchard had said that the “only one other market [that] surpassed it in the whole Presidency was the ‘Crawford Markets’ of Bombay,” according to Lari.
The most monumental feature of the building is its clock tower, which is positioned right at the center of the front wing. It was designed in a very symmetrical manner, with the front and back being exactly the same.
It has two levels. The first level features an arched entrance at the very bottom and then there is a balcony above it. The balcony is adorned with beautiful wrought iron grills. The second level has the clock installed and above that, the canopy of the tower serves as the cover for the structure.
Each wing of the market was originally dedicated to a separate function, a different type of shopping, according to Soomro. In some areas, there were wet groceries, and in others, dry groceries.
While this zoning has blurred, the market remains a vibrant hub.
“It’s a very historic and old market, and the best thing about it is that you can find everything in bulk — it’s called a one-stop shop,” said Zia Shahid, a regular at Empress Market.
“From vegetables to dry fruits, from groceries to various other items, you can get everything here at very good rates.”
But it isn’t just the wide variety of items that attract shoppers to the market. Many visit the place due to its magnificent structure and to take photos.
“We had heard a lot about how the art of photography stands out here in this market, in its own unique way,” said Afaan Adnan, a 21-year-old student, unaware of the site’s bleak past.
“We needed to take some pictures in which we could tell stories. Empress Market is a key part of Karachi, where countless stories unfold. We are here to capture them.”
But for shopkeepers like Y.B. Sethna, Empress Market is deeply personal as his family has been here since 1938.
“In 1938, my grandfather came to the market... After 1946, there was Partition, so the person he was working with at the time left and he said to my grandfather, ‘you’ve worked hard with us, so why don’t you take over this shop?’,” he said, adding that his grandfather, father and uncle used to run the grocery shop before him.
Sethna’s long association with the market has kept him from moving elsewhere.
“When I was seven years old, they [Sethna’s grandfather and other elders] would hold my hand and bring me here,” he said, adding people often ask him why he didn’t open a shop at a less crowded place with relative calm.
“The attachment I had with this place was so strong that I couldn’t leave it.”