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Pakistan General Elections 2024 - The ins/outs and mechanics

Major

Major

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Pakistan General Elections 2024

Date of Election: February 8th 2024, Thursday


Basic Guidelines for all voters

- Check Your National Assembly (NA), Provincial Assembly (PK) and polling station (where to cast vote) by msging your CNIC number to 8300.

- You can also see you constituency map here

Maps – Google Drive

drive.google.com drive.google.com

- List of contesting candidates (constituent wise)

HOW TO VOTE FOR PTI
The ECP has not issued an election symbol to PTI as they failed to have intra party elections. Thus, PTI will not be contesting the election as a party, and its candidates will be contesting as Independent candidates, in which case each Independent candidate will have a different symbol.

PTI hopes that its independent candidates will win seats and than will join together to form govt in the parliament.

To know which PTI candidate is contesting from which constituent, in the below link go to Imran Khan's Facebook page, and msg the page your NA number (the one you got from msging 8300) and they will tell you the PTI candidate's name and symbol who is standing as an Independent candidate. Below is the link
www.facebook.com

Imran Khan

‏‎Imran Khan‎‏. ‏‏١٤٬٤٥٨٬٧١٢‏ تسجيل إعجاب · يتحدث ‏٢٢٧٬٧١١‏ عن هذا‏. ‏‎Official page of Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan‎‏
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
 
PPPP has no candidates in a few constituents.

PTI's only chance will be if the voters turn out and they are informed about who their independant candidate is. Even if they Indepandant candidate wins, how many of them will sell out to the coalition?

PMLN might pull it off
 
I spoke to my father and family members who are in Pakistan.

They are certain its a PMLN win.

They are living in the Punjab heartlands so maybe that amplifies the feeling a bit.

I know a lot of PTI workers/members in some areas of Pakistan. Inside they are admitting defeat but can't say too much in public because of letting down the public that still backs them and don't want to push the establishment too much.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
I spoke to my father and family members who are in Pakistan.

They are certain its a PMLN win.

They are living in the Punjab heartlands so maybe that amplifies the feeling a bit.

I know a lot of PTI workers/members in some areas of Pakistan. Inside they are admitting defeat but can't say too much in public because of letting down the public that still backs them and don't want to push the establishment too much.
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They have 15 days. If they join PPP, PTI would get protection here.

They need an alliance with one major party. Alliance till they could get Imran out of jail and than go after the establishment.

PPP has thrown its weapons down and ready for negotiation. Besides, PPP doesn even take PTI as a threat as there enemy is always PMLN and the army.

If PTI doesnt take advantage of this, they are just wasting the election and letting PMLN win.
 
Repeat of 2018 elections, where independents will play their part. PTI is replaced by PMLN now. Nothing new

PPP will sit in oppositions. PMLN and independents will form government.
Punjab - PMLN
Sindh - PPP
KPK - JUIF/PTI
Balochistan - Aliens
 
Major said:
They have 15 days. If they join PPP, PTI would get protection here.

They need an alliance with one major party. Alliance till they could get Imran out of jail and than go after the establishment.

PPP has thrown its weapons down and ready for negotiation. Besides, PPP doesn even take PTI as a threat as there enemy is always PMLN and the establishment.

If PTI doesnt take advantage of this, they are just wasting the election and letting PMLN win.
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PPP reached out to Imran in the past to team up and take down noon.

Imran refused and swore at Zardari, doubles down on criticism of Bilawal.

After this Zardari vowed to have nothing to do with PTI.
 
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This is the norm in every election in Pakistan. Favoritism and oppressing the opposition. But things need to change now else this country is going nowhere.
 
With PTI not given any ground in the upcoming general election, it would be interesting to see how many seats their party backed candidates would win and if they join any of the rival parties after their win.
 
In view of the upcoming general elections on 8th February, Provincial Cabinet has approved that all public and private sector schools, colleges, and universities in Punjab will be closed from Feb 6th to Feb 9th. 9:30 am timing for schools will only be observed till 3rd February. Regular school timings will be observed later on,” wrote CM Punjab Mohsin Naqvi on his Twitter account.
 
Major said:
well its just a repeat of 2018, the only difference is that the favored child is someone else.
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During the build up to the 2018 election, I don’t think there was any talk of rigging to bring in IK. It was only after the elections people were claiming that it was rigged only because the result didn’t go their way.
 
Cricket Warrior said:
But this time selected child is totally spoiled.
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na the lasst one was spoilt, this one is going to fight with establishment after being elected and than again removed
 
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Major said:
well its just a repeat of 2018, the only difference is that the favored child is someone else.
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The rigging in 2018 was against IK. The likes of Rana Sanaullah and Khawaja Asif and at least another 20 Nooras won their seats because Bajwa and the RTS breakdown. Even your friend @Mamoon said it at the time. And the fact was proved that neither the PPP and Nooras laid any complaints after Bajwa told them to shut up because Bajwa knew he helped them by keeping IK weak and we all know why in Apr 2022.
 
There is already a scenario created for IK to be kept out of these elections. Whatever is happening as the plan was made. These elections will be the worst to ever be conducted in Pakistan.
 
Imagine if this was a free and fair election, 70-80% seats would have been won by PTI, all over Pakistan.
 
Bewal Express said:
The rigging in 2018 was against IK. The likes of Rana Sanaullah and Khawaja Asif and at least another 20 Nooras won their seats because Bajwa and the RTS breakdown. Even your friend @Mamoon said it at the time. And the fact was proved that neither the PPP and Nooras laid any complaints after Bajwa told them to shut up because Bajwa knew he helped them by keeping IK weak and we all know why in Apr 2022.
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There was no way the establishment didn't get what it wanted in 2018.
 
Varun said:
There was no way the establishment didn't get what it wanted in 2018.
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The PTI won the elections. Many RTSs were turned off and the likes of Rana won. IK was winning with it and let him form a weak govt, the plan was to get Kaptaan make the tough decisions and then start the parish started. But Corona got in the way
 
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No election in Pakistan can be won without the interference of some powerful in Pakistan. But what actually happened in 2018- was that IK went on to become more popular among Pakistan People because of his Poor people-friendly policies.
 
An explosion took place on Friday near the Provincial Election Commission office in Karachi, days before the general elections 2024, Aaj News reported.

According to South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Syed Asad Raza, the blast took place in the parking area of the office, located in Saddar.

He confirmed that no people had been killed or injured in the attack.

A bomb disposal squad arrived at the scene to survey the site of the bombing.
 
BouncerGuy said:
No election in Pakistan can be won without the interference of some powerful in Pakistan. But what actually happened in 2018- was that IK went on to become more popular among Pakistan People because of his Poor people-friendly policies.
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sorry you are wrong.

Convicted PM became image rose because he used populism. Plus with the help of establishment he held islamabad hostage, and also used religion and ahamadi card to weaken the PMLN through TLP. Also handed PMLN branded as thieves through a judiciary that sited Sadiq and Amin as criteria to be a PM.

He was not popular. A popular person wins a majority, they dont come in with a coalition and than see themselves be voted out through a VONC.
 
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ECP cancels elections in 3 constituencies

Election Commission of Pakistan issued orders cancelling elections in three constituencies on Friday.

The notification said that elections will not be held as per schedule in Bajaur’s NA-8 and PK-22 as well as Kohat’s PK-91.

ECP said that the decision was taken because aspring candidates have died in the three constituencies.

The Commission added that a fresh schedule will be announced for the constituency and candidates would have have to submit nomination papers again.


www.aajenglish.tv

ECP cancels elections in 3 constituencies

Candidates have died in each of the three constituencies
www.aajenglish.tv
 
Imran Khan’s PTI fields most number of women in upcoming Pak elections: Report

Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has allocated 53 seats to women, the most number of tickets, among the major political parties in Pakistan for the February 8 elections, according to a media report on Friday.

The beleaguered party, which was stripped of its electoral symbol, a cricket bat, by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in January, has allotted tickets to 53 women candidates, of whom 28 are contesting the elections for the National Assembly constituencies, while 25 are for provincial seats.

As a result of the Supreme Court ruling, the party’s candidates will be contesting the election as independents with different election symbols.

Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, which will be contesting its debut elections, has awarded tickets to seven women, which is 7.2 per cent of its total candidates, Geo News reported.

Meanwhile, Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan has allotted tickets to 13 women, which is 6.7 per cent of its total candidates.

However, other major political parties have fallen short of giving even five per cent of tickets to women.

For the February 8 election, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has given tickets to 35 women, 11 on National Assembly seats and 24 on provincial seats, which is just 4.5 per cent of its total 779 candidates.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, has issued tickets to only 28 women, 12 for National Assembly and 15 for provincial seats, which is just 4.2 per cent of the 668 candidates fielded by the party.

Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, a far-right Islamic extremist political party, has allocated only 11 tickets to women, which is the least, making up only 1.5 per cent of its total candidates.

However, of the 11,165 independents in the fray, as many as 513 are women, with the majority of them, 203 women, contesting from Punjab Assembly seats.

Even though women make up around 49 per cent of Pakistan’s population, as per the 2017 census, only 839 women out of 17,000 candidates are contesting the February 8 election, which is an abysmal 4.7 per cent.

The electoral laws in Pakistan make it mandatory for political parties to allot five per cent of their tickets to women.

SOURCE: https://www.hindustantimes.com/worl...ing-pak-elections-report-101706900127960.html
 
Someone should share province wise who will win how much seats predictions
 
The US State Department on Saturday cautioned American citizens to exercise vigilance during the upcoming general elections, scheduled for February 8.

In a travel advisory, it highlighted potential disruptions and safety concerns linked to political activities, such as marches, rallies, and speeches leading up to election day.

Acknowledging that public gatherings are intrinsic to the democratic process, the advisory underscored their capacity to impede traffic, disrupt transportation, and pose safety risks, as political events in Pakistan have previously become targets for violence.

US citizens intending to visit Pakistan were urged to stay vigilant and informed about the locations of political rallies in their planned areas. On election day, specific areas around polling stations were expected to be crowded, prompting non-participating US citizens to avoid these locations.

Additionally, disruptions to internet and cellular services were anticipated in the period leading up to, during, and immediately after the elections.

The State Department provided specific recommendations for US citizens, including avoiding areas with large public gatherings, exercising caution near demonstrations, reviewing personal security plans, monitoring local media for updates, maintaining a low profile, carrying identification and cooperating with local authorities.

The advisory encouraged enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (Step) for security updates, with additional information available on the US Embassy’s official website.

As Pakistan’s political landscape evolves ahead of the general elections, the US State Department reaffirmed its commitment to offering timely information and support to American citizens in the region. It urged citizens to stay informed and take necessary precautions for their safety amid heightened political activity.

For assistance, US citizens in Pakistan can contact the US Embassy in Islamabad and the US Consulate Generals in Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar, as well as the State Department’s Consular Affairs in Washington.

Source: Dawn News
 
The Bald Eagle said:
The US State Department on Saturday cautioned American citizens to exercise vigilance during the upcoming general elections, scheduled for February 8.

In a travel advisory, it highlighted potential disruptions and safety concerns linked to political activities, such as marches, rallies, and speeches leading up to election day.

Acknowledging that public gatherings are intrinsic to the democratic process, the advisory underscored their capacity to impede traffic, disrupt transportation, and pose safety risks, as political events in Pakistan have previously become targets for violence.

US citizens intending to visit Pakistan were urged to stay vigilant and informed about the locations of political rallies in their planned areas. On election day, specific areas around polling stations were expected to be crowded, prompting non-participating US citizens to avoid these locations.

Additionally, disruptions to internet and cellular services were anticipated in the period leading up to, during, and immediately after the elections.

The State Department provided specific recommendations for US citizens, including avoiding areas with large public gatherings, exercising caution near demonstrations, reviewing personal security plans, monitoring local media for updates, maintaining a low profile, carrying identification and cooperating with local authorities.

The advisory encouraged enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (Step) for security updates, with additional information available on the US Embassy’s official website.

As Pakistan’s political landscape evolves ahead of the general elections, the US State Department reaffirmed its commitment to offering timely information and support to American citizens in the region. It urged citizens to stay informed and take necessary precautions for their safety amid heightened political activity.

For assistance, US citizens in Pakistan can contact the US Embassy in Islamabad and the US Consulate Generals in Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar, as well as the State Department’s Consular Affairs in Washington.

Source: Dawn News
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We took part in coup and we warn you to be careful
 
The Bald Eagle said:
The US State Department on Saturday cautioned American citizens to exercise vigilance during the upcoming general elections, scheduled for February 8.

In a travel advisory, it highlighted potential disruptions and safety concerns linked to political activities, such as marches, rallies, and speeches leading up to election day.

Acknowledging that public gatherings are intrinsic to the democratic process, the advisory underscored their capacity to impede traffic, disrupt transportation, and pose safety risks, as political events in Pakistan have previously become targets for violence.

US citizens intending to visit Pakistan were urged to stay vigilant and informed about the locations of political rallies in their planned areas. On election day, specific areas around polling stations were expected to be crowded, prompting non-participating US citizens to avoid these locations.

Additionally, disruptions to internet and cellular services were anticipated in the period leading up to, during, and immediately after the elections.

The State Department provided specific recommendations for US citizens, including avoiding areas with large public gatherings, exercising caution near demonstrations, reviewing personal security plans, monitoring local media for updates, maintaining a low profile, carrying identification and cooperating with local authorities.

The advisory encouraged enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (Step) for security updates, with additional information available on the US Embassy’s official website.

As Pakistan’s political landscape evolves ahead of the general elections, the US State Department reaffirmed its commitment to offering timely information and support to American citizens in the region. It urged citizens to stay informed and take necessary precautions for their safety amid heightened political activity.

For assistance, US citizens in Pakistan can contact the US Embassy in Islamabad and the US Consulate Generals in Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar, as well as the State Department’s Consular Affairs in Washington.

Source: Dawn News
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This is funny. First create the anarchy and then tell your own people (even thought they don't own anybody TBH) to be careful of the results it can bring. LOL
 
BouncerGuy said:
This is funny. First create the anarchy and then tell your own people (even thought they don't own anybody TBH) to be careful of the results it can bring. LOL
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its not about owning. Good govts care about there people and let them know about lingering dangers
 
Major said:
its not about owning. Good govts care about there people and let them know about lingering dangers
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When that danger was created by them? That is not care, that is their duty.
 

Pakistan’s electoral system — an illusion of true representation​

The brazen tactics — by the triumvirate of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the caretaker federal and provincial governments Punjab in particular and the judiciary (with only some exceptions), backed by the euphemism known as the establishment — are in full public view for anyone who wants to see.

Consequently, a major political party, PTI, is being prevented from formal participation, while its leader, a former prime minister has been convicted in three different cases over the last one week alone. This is only one reason why the upcoming polls will be yet another non-representative expression of the Pakistani people’s political views. At the same time, I would love to be proved wrong.

At the outset, let this be noted: this writer is not a member of the PTI. In fact, on several instances, I have completely disagreed with the PTI’s decisions and policies. Yet, the way in which major political parties and other institutions have acted against the PTI, just before April 2022 and after, violates irreducible norms of fairness, decency, and impartiality.

Notwithstanding the bizarre, reprehensible actions of some elements on May 9, 2023 — still not independently investigated and verified — the victimisation of PTI, as also the unrelated, yet contextually pertinent disregard for the ongoing protests in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan are sources of profound unease, be they directly or indirectly related to the subject of this reflection.

Non-representative polls
Notwithstanding the above, one of the principal reasons for the persistent anomaly of electoral systems and results over the last 53 years is that in six out of 11 general elections, the average voter turnout has stood at around 45 per cent. This means that more than half of the eligible voters in the country never recorded their preferences. Meanwhile, in the five other elections, though the turnout was over 50pc, it never reached a two-third majority or more — a reasonably representative, though not complete portrait of reality.

In this writer’s view, the minimal turnout to validate an election should be at least 75pc, which is equivalent to the margin required to make a constitutional amendment in most democracies.

In other South Asian countries, on average in the recent past, though just two countries’ turnouts have reached over 75pc, only Afghanistan with 35-40pc was lower than Pakistan. Sri Lanka and the Maldives stood at 78pc, with Nepal at 69pc, and India and Bhutan at 66pc. Even Iran in West Asia managed 60pc.

Various factors shape voter turnout, the leading one being faith in the integrity of the electoral system followed by convenient access to polling stations (to be fair to Pakistan, one estimate claims that the average voter — the majority — can reach their respective polling station in about 10 minutes from their place of residence).

Other factors include conditions of law and order in and around polling locations, sheer apathy or lack of confidence in available choices, prejudice against women casting votes, and many more. All of these, collectively or individually, have contributed to Pakistan’s low voter turnout rates.

First past the post
One of the major reasons for our polls having always been non-representative of the majority of public opinion is the use of the First Past the Post (FPTP) system. This was inherited from Westminster in 1947 and like the real as well as the exaggerated sanctity of parliamentary democracy, the system has not been altered or replaced.

In essence, it means that when a candidate secures even one vote more than the next highest-scoring competitor, that candidate is the winner. However, that winner’s tally is often, if not always less than the total number of votes cast against him/her and in favour of all the other losing candidates. And to top it all, with only half or less than half of total registered voters turning up to vote, that winner-by-a-single-vote represents a small minority of the whole spectrum. But in FPTP, that candidate is rewarded with the honour of representing all those who not only voted against them, but also those who never voted at all.

The fact that the UK, USA, India, Bangladesh, and many others follow this distorted system does not reduce the absurdity or the anomaly. In one extreme case, I happened to be in New York a few years ago when I read that the District Attorney for Queens was elected with a voter turnout of only 9pc.

In Pakistan, and elsewhere, the anomaly also applies to the share of votes secured by political parties. For instance, in 2018, the PTI received about 32pc of votes cast — 16.9 million votes. But in the context of total registered votes, that figure shrinks to only about 15pc. And the same applies to PML-N whose real share of the total registered votes was about 9pc while the PPP was barely 5pc. Yet, all three parties go hoarse claiming to represent, especially now in 2024, the 240 million people of Pakistan!

Thus, neither individual candidates nor national level political parties have ever been authentically representative of the majority of votes cast on polling day, let alone representative of the total registered voters. Another consequence of the FPTP system is that the number of seats gained can be disproportionate to the votes received. A fine, not-so-fine example is next door in India. The Hindutva-fired BJP received only about 37.36pc of the votes cast in 2019. Even with its allies in the NDA, they together received only 45pc of the cast votes. Yet they obtained a vast majority of 353 seats out of 543 seats in the Lok Sabha. In other words, the majority of Indian voters voted against the BJP, but have had to suffer its excesses for the past five years.

A brief foray into our history is perhaps relevant. In the 1970 polls, the total turnout, as cited earlier, was 59.8pc. But in East Pakistan, with 56.9pc, it was lower than Punjab at 68.7pc and Sindh at 60.1pc. Despite the unduly long 11-month election campaign and the Awami League’s success in making the Six-Points formula synonymous with Bengali identity, pride, and autonomy, as many as 43pc of East Pakistani voters did not turn out to vote. The terrible natural disasters of cyclones, tidal waves, and floods in previous months contributed to this outcome. Of those who did, about 11pc voted against the Awami League. So, the majority of East Pakistani voters did not vote for the Six-Points and the Awami League, but due to the FPTP system, the Awami League won 160 out of 162 seats in the National Assembly. Of course, the rest is history.

The way forward
This brings one to submit that there are two ways to correct the inherently flawed electoral system we use in Pakistan. The first is to make voting compulsory for every adult citizen. This writer’s proposal was originally published in an essay in Dawn on 15th August 2011. Earlier, during a meeting with a PILDAT group on another subject, when I conveyed this suggestion to then-PM Yousuf Raza Gilani, it was received, to my pleasant surprise, with very enthusiastic endorsement. It was accompanied by immediate instructions to his special assistant to follow up on this measure. Despite my subsequent efforts to remind the chief executive and his SA, no further action was taken. I regret not taking proactive steps to pursue this option with parliamentary committees and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), fostering a potential avenue for debate and eventual consensus.

Source: Dawn News
 
Im planning to cast my provincial vote to plmn as i live in punjab, and national assembly to pti's independant candidate
 
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Arrest warrants issued for officers skipping election duty

Arrest warrants has been issued for the government employees skipping elections 2024 duty, in Sehwan, ARY News reported on Monday.

An emergency meeting of police officers under the chairmanship of the Returning Officer of Sehwan was called in Jamshoro to discuss the non-compliance of government employees with their assigned election duties.

The Returning Officer of Sehwan directed the police to arrest the 134 government employees for refusing their assigned election duties.

The district administration, under the leadership of RO, has issued orders for the arrest of 134 government employees who have shown reluctance to perform election duties and directed present them before the authorities.

The employees belong to various government departments, including education, health, water supply, and others.

Earlier this week, arrest warrants were issued for the Sindh health department, skipping elections 2024 duty, in Karachi.

As per details, the arrest warrants for 267 employees including women, were issued by the Returning Officer (RO) of PS-110-Karachi, South, Muhammad Hayyat, over continued absence from their election duties.

The police have been directed to arrest and present the employees skipping their election duties on Friday.

On February 1, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, in a press statement after the meeting, said that those who are trying to obstruct the polls by disturbing the peace would be dealt with strictly.


arynews.tv

Arrest warrants issued for officers skipping election duty

JAMSHORO: Arrest warrants has been issued for the government employees skipping elections 2024 duty, in Sehwan, ARY News reported on Monday. An emergency
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Govt turns down possibility of internet suspension on election day

A day after the Balochistan government announced the temporary suspension of internet services in areas with "sensitive" polling booths, caretaker Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi Monday ruled out the possibility of an internet shutdown on February 8.

Solangi, while speaking to a private news channel, said that local administrations do have the authority to decide on the suspension of internet services in light of the law and order situation.

However, the minister clarified that no such situation has been reported so far that warrants such an action on the government's part.

His remarks come as the country has witnessed multiple internet disruptions in the run-up to the upcoming general elections, most notably on December 7 and 17, and then again later on January 20 last month.

The government's failure to disclose specific reasons for these internet disruptions, except for the one on January 20 which was termed a "technical fault" by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), has given way to concerns regarding possible internet shutdown on the poll day.

On Sunday, caretaker Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai announced that the internet service will remain temporarily restricted in the sensitive polling booths in the province on election day.

"Ensuring the safety and security of ordinary citizens is of utmost importance, as there is a concern that terrorists may exploit social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and other similar channels for communication purposes," Achakzai said in a statement.

Earlier this week, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja also rejected any possibility of communications and internet services outage on February 8.

"No proposal for internet shutdown on election day is under consideration," Raja said after the ECP held a comprehensive meeting over the security arrangements and measures in the wake of terrorist attacks targeting electioneering activities.

Elaborating on such prospects, the minister termed security threats as a "serious issue", adding that extraordinary situations required extraordinary measures.

On the issue of election delay, Solangi turned down any such possibility stressing that throughout the country's history, there have been occasions when polls were held in harsh and difficult conditions.

To another query, he said that the caretaker government had no favourites in the elections while further reiterating the interim setup's commitment to ensuring a level playing field for all political parties.


www.thenews.com.pk

Govt turns down possibility of internet suspension on election day

A day after the Balochistan government announced the temporary suspension of internet services in areas with sensitive polling booths, caretaker Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi...
www.thenews.com.pk www.thenews.com.pk
 
These kinds of blackouts are just for the sake of rigging. Try to win it free and fair for once.
 
Discontent and Defiance on the Road to Pakistan’s Election

The Grand Trunk Road is buzzing with talk of the coming vote, and of the country’s future.

The reporters traveled along a famed highway in Pakistan’s most heated political battleground to understand how Pakistanis are feeling before a national election on Thursday.

The highway is the most politically charged slice of a politically turbulent country. It winds 180 miles from Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, through the fertile plains of Punjab Province to Lahore, the nation’s cultural and political heart.

For centuries, it was known only as a sliver of the Grand Trunk Road, Asia’s longest and oldest thoroughfare, linking traders in Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. But in Pakistan, this stretch of the smog-drenched highway has become the stage for major rallies and protests led by nearly every famed civilian leader the country has had.

As Pakistan heads into national elections on Thursday, the road is buzzing. Politics dominates the chatter between its vendors and rickshaw drivers, their conversations seeped in a culture of conspiracy, cults of political personality and the problems of entrenched military control.

The map highlights the Grand Trunk Road from Islamabad to Lahore in Pakistan . The towns of Gujar Khan, Jhelum, Wazirabad and Gujranwala along the road are also located.

Nearly every day, hundreds fill the street — its overpasses plastered in green, red and white political posters — to rally for their side. Many more, their preferred party effectively disbanded amid a military crackdown, quietly curse the authorities before an election widely viewed as one of the least credible in the country’s history.

Mile 38: The Economic Crash

The newsstand just off the main highway in Gujar Khan is little more than a metal chair with newspapers fanned out carefully in a circle. Men gathered around the stand, chatting as they drank their morning tea and electric rickshaws rumbled by. Every day, the papers arrive with a new political advertisement splashed across their front page, said the vendor, Abdul Rahim, 60. But he has not been swayed by any of their catchy slogans or artful headshots.

Like many people across Pakistan, he has become fed up with the country’s political system. After former Prime Minister Imran Khan ran afoul of the country’s powerful military and was ousted by Parliament in 2022, infighting seemed to consume the country’s political and military leaders. All the while, people like Mr. Rahim were getting crushed by the worst economic crisis in Pakistan’s recent history, which sent inflation soaring to nearly 40 percent last year, a record high.

“For five years, I’ve been worrying about how to put food on the table — that’s all I’ve spent my time thinking about,” Mr. Rahim said.

Three governments, led by three different parties, have been in power since inflation began to surge in 2019. None were able to put the economy back on track, Mr. Rahim and some men gathered around the stand explained.

“The rulers are becoming richer, their children are becoming richer and we are becoming poorer every day,” Abid Hussein, 57, a nearby fruit stall vendor, piped in. “This is the worst period in my lifetime in Pakistan.”

Mile 74: The Crackdown

The fliers are hidden at major intersections in Jhelum, wedged between the fruits and sunglasses of vendors’ carts and surreptitiously handed out to passers-by. They have a photo of Mr. Khan in the top left corner along with his party’s new slogan: “We will take revenge with the vote.”

Most of the campaigning for Mr. Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or P.T.I., has taken place in these shadows after the military started a monthslong intimidation campaign.

“They are working to crush the party. But they can’t because the party is in the hearts of the people,” the provincial assembly candidate in Jhelum, Yasir Mehmood Qureshi, said as he stood in a large, shaded yard surrounded by around two dozen supporters.

The military’s crackdown was designed to sideline the populist Mr. Khan, but most analysts say it has instead increased his support. While his popularity had plummeted as the economy declined in his last months in office, he now has a cultlike following. Supporters see him — and by extension themselves — as wronged by the military leaders who they believe orchestrated his ouster.

“We are frustrated,” one P.T.I. supporter, Momin Khan, 25, said. “Everyone is angry.”

Mile 118: The Young Vote

The young men sat on a dead patch of grass at the edge of a field in Wazirabad, half-watching a cricket match. Bored with the game, Umer Malik, 28, pulled out his phone and began scrolling through TikTok. Within a few seconds, there was a video showing a P.T.I. gathering with the words “Vote Only Khan,” another mocking the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, or P.M.L.N., the party seen as favored by the military in this election, and one slow-motion shot of Mr. Khan walking through a crowd.

“Every third video is about political stuff,” Mr. Malik muttered.

Mr. Malik and his friends had been captivated by the flood of political content created by P.T.I. in the past few years. The videos explained in layman’s language how Pakistan’s military had kept an iron grip on power. They taught the history of the military’s several coups. They slammed the generals for Mr. Khan’s ouster.

That content, outside the reach of state censorship, had stirred a political awakening for their generation, which makes up around half of the country’s electorate. While young people in Punjab would once take voting instructions from elders who had been promised projects like new roads by party leaders, they are now casting votes for whomever they prefer.

“The old era is over,” said Abid Mehar, 34, whose parents are staunch P.M.L.N. voters, while he supports P.T.I. “We will vote by our conscience.”

Mile 137: The Chosen Party

It was nearly midnight when the leaders of P.M.L.N. appeared at the rally in Gujranwala. Hundreds of party supporters crammed into rows upon rows of seats, cheering and clapping as fireworks lit up the sky. Political songs blasted from speakers: “Nawaz Sharif, he will build Punjab!” “Nawaz Sharif, he will save the country!”

Mr. Sharif’s near-certain return to power has offered a redemption of sorts. He has served as prime minister three times — never completing a single term. Twice he was ousted after falling out with the military. Then, in 2017, he was toppled by corruption allegations.

But for a military bent on gutting P.T.I., Mr. Sharif was seen as perhaps the only politician who could counter Mr. Khan’s popular appeal. After spending four years in exile, Mr. Sharif was allowed to return to the country in October to shore up P.M.L.N.’s support.

“When he returned, it revived the party,” said Ijaz Khan Ballu, a P.M.L.N. campaigner in Gujranwala. “All these votes for P.M.L.N. are really votes for Nawaz Sharif.”

SOURCE: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/05/world/asia/pakistan-election.html
 
Hospitals on high alert ahead of general elections 2024

With just two days to go to February 8 general elections, the federal administration has put hospitals in Islamabad on high alert for any untoward situation, ARY News reported on Friday.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, a high alert has been issued from the 7th to the 9th of February.

“All rural health centers, community health centers, and basic health units under administrative control of District Health Office Islamabad are kept on high alert during elections 2024 with effect from 7th to 9th February,” the notification read.

Arrangements have been made in federal hospitals in view of emergency situations while leaves of doctors, nurses, and other staff have been canceled, notification

Instructions have also been issued to the staff of federal hospitals to ensure attendance. Consultants, surgeons, and CMOs of federal hospitals are directed to remain on-call.


arynews.tv

Hospitals on high alert ahead of general elections 2024

ISLAMABAD: With just two days to go to February 8 general elections, the federal administration has put hospitals in Islamabad on high alert for any
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Election 2024: Curtains fall on election activities tonight

Curtains will fall on electioneering tonight, to begin a 48-hour moratorium on political activities begin Feb 6 and 7 midnight.

As per the election schedule campaigning window will close at the stroke of midnight between Tuesday and Wednesday under the election laws.

The candidates or political parties violating the law may subject to legal action after curtains down on election campaign.

As the electioneering ban period approaching, political parties and contesting candidates have intensified their election campaigns.

Pakistan People’s Party will conclude its election campaign with a power show in Larkana, the native land of Bhuttos. The PPP holding its public meeting at Municipal Stadium of Larkana to be addressed by the party’s chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Aseefa Bhutto and other central leaders of the party will also address the PPP public meeting.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz will end its election campaign with final election power show of the party at Khudian in Kasur.

PML-N supreme leader Mian Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shehbaz will attend the party’s public meeting at Railway Ground on 2:00 PM.

The posters of party leaders Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shehbaz have been displayed at the public meeting venue.

Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has been the PML-N candidate from NA-132 Khudian in Kasur.



arynews.tv

Election 2024: Curtains fall on election activities tonight

ISLAMABAD: Curtains will fall on electioneering tonight, to begin a 48-hour moratorium on political activities begin Feb 6 and 7 midnight. As per the
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Major said:
well its just a repeat of 2018, the only difference is that the favored child is someone else.
Click to expand...
Yes PPP asked establishment to give them Sindh permanently as they dont need to rule the entire country to make a living but this time establishment offered them more than PPP asked for in Balochistan as many establishment backed candidates joined PPP. So yes, no change in 2024, it's a repeat of 2018, 2013, 2008 and before.
 
Bewal Express said:
The rigging in 2018 was against IK. The likes of Rana Sanaullah and Khawaja Asif and at least another 20 Nooras won their seats because Bajwa and the RTS breakdown. Even your friend @Mamoon said it at the time. And the fact was proved that neither the PPP and Nooras laid any complaints after Bajwa told them to shut up because Bajwa knew he helped them by keeping IK weak and we all know why in Apr 2022.
Click to expand...

Absolutely it was rigged against PTI. Results on many seats PTI were leading had changed overnight and Khawaja Asif admitted he contacted General Bajwa on whatsapp and he managed to get the result changed in his favour as Usman Dar was leading till late night.

Reason why 2024 is different is that pre poll rigging is unprecedented, NEVER in history we witnessed such level of pre poll rigging and this has been highlighted internationally.
PMLN (and PDM for that matter) absolutely lie that same was done to PMLN in 2018, if you just compare PMLN's 2013 candidates with 2018 then you will find that over 90% candidates were same and some were denied tickets by PMLN themselves, no one was abducted or forced to change loyalties. Symbol was not taken away, no nomination papers snatched, no ban on election rallies and no arrests on just holding the party flag.

The comparison is absolutely shameful.
 
Varun said:
There was no way the establishment didn't get what it wanted in 2018.
Click to expand...

Establishment has no favourites, they just want to ensure they can control the winner. There wasn't even 10% of pre poll rigging incidents in 2018 as compared to 2024 and results were in line with many surveys conducted. Even other parties did not complain about pre poll rigging except for the fact that PMLN's leader was punished just before the elections after his hidden flats were discovered in Panama leaks.
Where i do think establishment helped PTI is alliance partners like PMLQ, MQM & BAP (as all these parties are usually controlled by establishment) and this support was taken away as soon as Vote of No Confidence motion was filed.
What can NOT be questioned is Imran Khan's popularity and on ground support (which establishment can't manage) and biggest proof of that is by elections in 2022 on 20 seats in Punjab. Imran Khan's party won 85% seats after establishment had removed him and even took away all the strong candidates. Tickets were given to normal workers who defeated strong candidates who joined PMLN after famous Vote of No Confidence.
 
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Pakistan has had 11 direct general elections so far, with the 12th edition due tomorrow (Feb 8). In theory, this democratic activity is supposed to put the representatives chosen by the masses in charge, which in turn are expected to put the country back on track.

But despite nearly a dozen elections in the bag, general elections in Pakistan do not rid the country of its long running ailments. If anything, they create more strife within political parties.

One big reason that happens is due to the system being ‘rigged’ or ‘manipulated’ in favour of some blue-eyed flavour-of-the-month types, but against certain undesirables no more in the good books of the powers that be.

In the piece below, based on the input given by various political analysts, we have ranked five such elections that history tells us are widely seen as the ‘dirtiest’ or the most unfair of them all.

5 — The controlled elections of 1997
The four elections during the 10-year period between 1988 and 1997 followed a clear trend. Worried about Benazir Bhutto, the state would either try to curb her popularity or help Nawaz Sharif to the prime minister’s office.

However, once in the top seat, Sharif would get embroiled in power struggles of his own — if not directly with the military then with its favoured people in civilian positions. When one was out of favour, the other automatically became the blue-eyed, or the lesser of the two headaches, to take over, and was also allowed to by the state.

This happened for the last time in this decade in 1997 when Sharif secured a landslide victory, winning 137 of the total 217 National Assembly seats, almost doubling his haul of 73 seats in the previous elections. But far more staggering than Nawaz’s meteoric rise was the magnitude with which Benazir’s haul shrank.

From winning 89 seats in 1993, her PPP could bag a mere 18 four years later — a depletion of almost 80 per cent.

While the killing of Benazir’s brother Murtaza Bhutto a few months before the elections as well as allegations of corruption against her husband Asif Ali Zardari were expected to hurt PPP’s popularity to an extent, but not by the margin eventually seen. This was made possible through a crackdown in the aftermath of the previous Benazir government’s dismissal as well as the arrests of Zardari and party loyalists.

“The 1997 elections were quite controversial,” historian and satirist Nadeem F. Paracha told Dawn.com. “An elected government was sent packing [in late 1996] and a crackdown was launched against the PPP, due to which Nawaz Sharif got an overwhelming two-thirds majority in the parliament.”

“The competition was controlled,” another senior journalist Tahir Mehdi corroborated. “The PPP was cowed down so much with the Murtaza Bhutto [assassination] and Farooq Leghari was the president. The entire election campaign was based on this [narrative] that Zardari was ‘Mr 10 per cent’ and very corrupt.”

4 — The ‘partyless’ polls of 1985
The 1985 elections were originally supposed to be held in 1977 when General Ziaul Haq staged a military coup, promising the nation that general elections would be held within 90 days.

Eight years after his 90-day promise, the elections did happen but under quite unusual circumstances — the likes of which were never seen before and have never been seen since.

Dubbed the ‘partyless’ polls, the 1985 elections were unique in the sense that no political parties of the time were allowed to field their candidates, thanks to a timely amendment to the 1973 Constitution.

“Today, just one party (PTI) is being obstructed but in 1985 the entire election was held on a nonpartisan basis,” recalled senior analyst Nusrat Javeed.

“The 1985 elections were the ones that corrupted and damaged the entire electoral system of parliamentary democracy, parties, administration, etc,” Tahir Mehdi explained. “Even today, this practice of independent candidates joining political parties after the elections … the root cause of this evil was in 1985 elections.”

Another veteran journalist, Mazhar Abbas was of the view that the 1985 polls were not only rigged, they even damaged the fabric of the country’s society. “Non-party-based elections in itself is a form of pre-poll rigging,” he said in an interview with Dawn News English. “That approach divided the society into feudals, caste system, etc.”

3 — The General’s election of 2002
Pakistan has had a long history of the state meddling into political affairs and running the show from the background. But what if instead of pulling the strings from behind, the powerful quarters were front and centre, not even feeling the need of a political guise? That happened in 2002 when Pervez Musharraf, both the army chief and the president at the same time, decided to hold elections.

PML-Q, the party that won the elections that year, was created, or rather engineered, less than three months before the polling day. While the party itself was nascent, the politicians it comprised of were seasoned and poached from the two established parties.

The 2002 elections saw the end of a trend that had lasted all through the 1990s when the PPP and PML-N played musical chairs with the prime minister’s office — also called the two-party system. In the new millennium came a new strategy where both the traditional big guns (PPP, PML-N) were dumped, their top leadership exiled, and the leftovers used to draft the King’s party (PML-Q).

Not one to take chances, Musharraf, as the president, promulgated the Political Parties Order, 2002, with bespoke restrictions introduced to specifically knock out the PPP and PML-N. The executive order declared that the head of a contesting party must be present in Pakistan and they must not be convicted.

The pre-poll manoeuvring was so sophisticated that there was no real need of anything extravagant on the actual day of voting.

“There are general elections, and then there are the General’s elections, and this was the latter,” Dawn News journalist Zarrar Khuhro said. “The 2002 elections were unbelievably rigged. Every single administrative department from the police to the returning officers to the people who counted the votes — they were all on that side (the state).”

Khuhro explained that in Pakistan’s electoral history, disenfranchisement is often dressed up as reform, and the 2002 version of that tried-and-failed trick came in the form of election hopefuls being required to have graduate degrees. “On the face of it, it seemed fine but then what’s the state of education in Pakistan? So are you not disenfranchising millions of people?”

However, the Muttahida Majlis–i–Amal, a pro-Musharraf alliance of religio-political parties, was allowed a way in via an exception. “A madressah certificate was considered equal to a degree,” Khuhro said. “So you disenfranchised a vast majority of politicians but you allowed them (the clerics).”

2 — The mother of all rigging in 1990
The manipulation of the 1990 elections actually had its foundations laid prior to the elections of 1988 when the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI), an alliance of nine parties, was created out of thin air by the then chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) retired General Hamid Gul, just to counter Benazir.

“In 1988, IJI was created overnight to block the clean victory of Benazir Bhutto,” Nusrat Javeed told Dawn.com. “All of a sudden, Muhammad Khan Junejo, Nawaz Sharif, Jamaat-i-Islami, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi — all teamed up. These nine parties joined forces in the blink of an eye.”

The newly formed IJI could not win the 1988 elections despite being the spy chief’s brainchild but come 1990, it was ready. To make sure they got the desired results this time, IJI own chairman (Jatoi) was installed as the caretaker minister.

In 2012, more than two decades later, the Supreme Court would rule that there was enough evidence proving that the 1990 elections were indeed rigged. It further noted that the then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan, COAS General (R) Aslam Baig and DG ISI Asad Durrani conspired against the PPP government.

Furthermore, Rs140 million from the public exchequer was distributed among opposition politicians through the then chief executive of a major bank, Younas Habib, to keep the PPP from winning.

“What happened in 1990 elections was the mother of all rigging,” said Mazhar Abbas. “The Asghar Khan case is the only instance when the Supreme Court, after years of hearings, declared that the 1990 elections were indeed rigged. This is perhaps the only election that has ultimately proven to be rigged.”

In addition to bankrolling the anti-PPP parties, work was done to also hurt Benazir’s repute. “There was a lot of character assassination of and negative propaganda against Benazir,” recalls Zohra Yousuf. “There was no social media then but they were using other tactics.”

1 — 2018 - The most unfair elections but only till date
For almost all the analysts Dawn.com spoke to, 2018 elections were the most common pick for the most unfair of them all, but with the caveat that it could be taken over by the upcoming polls when it’s all said and done.

The groundwork for the alleged manipulation of the 2018 elections was laid exactly a year ago with the ouster of the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was disqualified from holding a public office by the Supreme Court on corruption charges.

The months leading up to the elections saw a massive bout of censorship of the media, while many ‘electables’ either quit the PML-N or joined the PTI, allegedly at the behest of the establishment. In fact, on the final day of scrutiny of nomination papers, seven of the PML-N’s ticket-holders from south Punjab returned party tickets and decided to contest as independents.

Source: Dawn News
 

For differently-abled individuals voting is a burden​

All the necessary arrangements for today’s big day have been completed and the populace of the country is ready to choose its representatives but authorities have seemingly failed to make any special arrangements for differently abled individuals trying to exercise their right to vote.

In this regard, Wajid Hussain, who heads a non-governmental organisation (NGO) for the rights of differently-abled people, said that elderly citizens and differently-abled individuals have been ignored by the apex electoral watchdog. “In the absence of wheelchair ramps, family members of elderly citizens and those with amputations will have to help in the voting process. It is unfortunate that we did not learn any lessons from the 2018 general election,” remarked Hussain.

Concurring with Hussain, Ihsan Ullah, who works with an NGO that provides assistance to individuals with special needs, informed that no arrangements for differently abled individuals had been made in K-P either. “Most of the polling stations in Peshawar have no access for differently abled individuals, whether that be a ramp or a separate washroom. This will disenfranchise a significant number of voters,” Ihsan Ullah predicted.

Sadia Afsheen, a differently abled voter from Karachi, resonates with the activist’s prediction. “Even in the 2018 general election it was very tough to cast my vote at a polling station in Liaquatabad. I do not expect that this time around will be any different.”

Muqaddas Khan, a 76-year-old, who also resides in Karachi, can relate to Afsheen’s experience. Khan was of the view that the government or the ECP did not care much about the participation of elderly or differently abled citizens of the country; and that they were left to fend for themselves.

Syeda Imtiaz Fatima, an activist for the rights of differently abled persons from Lahore, who herself is not mobile, expanding upon Khan’s assessment said that remote and hard-to-reach polling stations, along with those that had multiple floors were a major hurdle in voting for her and others like her. Fatima implored for such polling stations to be done away with.
Agreeing with Fatima, Afsha Afridi, a special needs individual from Peshawar, said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the government had to do more to facilitate differently abled individuals, especially women. “It is already challenging for women to vote and if you add differently abled women to the mix, it becomes a nightmare,” regretted Afridi.
When asked about the plight of differently abled individuals vis-a-vis voting, Shamshad Khan, Chief Provincial Election Commissioner of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), assured that the ECP had dedicated polling staff for differently abled individuals and given directions to facilitate any elderly or differently abled individuals trying to vote.
Nadeem Haider, the ECP’s Central Spokesperson, also reiterated Khan’s assertions. “Instructions have been issued to provincial chief secretaries and district administrations to arrange wheelchairs and ramps at polling stations. Presiding officers have been directed to facilitate pregnant women and elderly citizens as per the situation's convenience,” claimed Haider while talking to the Express Tribune

Source: The Express Tribune
 
Ballot boxes snatched in Karachi on eve of elections

A presiding officer along with election material has been robbed inside a polling station in Saudabad area of Karachi, ARY News reported citing police sources.

The police said that armed robbers entered the polling station established in Pakistan Public School in Saudabad, snatching valuables as well as three ballot boxes from the presiding officer. The suspects managed to escape after the snatching.


Source: ARY News
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Ballot boxes snatched in Karachi on eve of elections

A presiding officer along with election material has been robbed inside a polling station in Saudabad area of Karachi, ARY News reported citing police sources.

The police said that armed robbers entered the polling station established in Pakistan Public School in Saudabad, snatching valuables as well as three ballot boxes from the presiding officer. The suspects managed to escape after the snatching.


Source: ARY News
Click to expand...
and the game has begun!

much more to come on election day.
 
Arrest warrants issued for 200 employees skipping election duty

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued arrest warrants against 200 ‘missing’ government employees assigned election duties during the General Elections 2024 in Dadu over their continuous absence, ARY News reported.

As per details, District Returning Officer (DRO) Dadu Fayyaz Rahujo has issued arrest warrants against 200 government servants who had been assigned election duty. The absentee employees had been appointed as presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and other duties on the polling day.

DRO Dadu Fayyaz Rahujo said that 10 government employees have been arrested for skipping the election duty while efforts are being made to arrest the remaining ones.

The DRO said that new appointments have been made to replace the absent polling staffers.


arynews.tv

Arrest warrants issued for 200 employees skipping election duty

DADU: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued arrest warrants against 200 ‘missing’ government employees assigned election duties during the
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
Today is the day that will be remembered for the generations to come. Surprises to come?
One of the biggest party in the country is not allowed to participate, just to please the self-made EARTH GODS. Let's see what is going to happen when the day comes to an end.
 
Imran votes by postal ballot, Bushra misses out

Former prime minister Imran Khan and other prominent incarcerated political figures have cast their votes through a postal ballot from Adiala Jail, sources said on Wednesday.

Other political leaders who have managed to vote by mail included former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid, and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry.

However, Mr Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, was unable to partake in the voting as she was convicted and arrested after the completion of the postal voting process.

Overall, fewer than 100 prisoners of Adiala Jail were able to vote, constituting only about one per cent of the jail’s 7,000 inmates.

Sources said the jail administration allowed only those inmates to cast their votes who had valid computerised national identity cards (CNICs), and the reason for a low turnout was that an overwhelming majority of the prisoners did not have the original CNIC.

“There are criminals, dacoits, thieves, convicts in the heinous crimes and under-trial prisoners (UTPs) detained in the jail,” a senior official told Dawn.

He said most criminals didn’t carry the CNIC to avoid their identity, while the identity cards of the UTPs were generally withheld by the police stations.

The official said the Adiala Jail administration received postal ballots from the Election Commission in mid-January and the ballots were provided to the inmates. The last date for submission was Jan 22.

However, the jail superintendent, Asad Javed Warraich, extended the time after which the votes were transmitted to the district returning officers (DROs) of respective constituencies in sealed envelopes.

A senior official said that since some inmates were from far-flung areas, the exercise was completed at least a fortnight before the elections to ensure the delivery to the DROs before final counting.

Jail sources said that former first lady Bushra Bibi also wanted to cast a vote through a postal ballot, but her request could not be entertained since the process had been completed by the time she was detained.

Mashal Yousafzai, a spokesperson for Bushra Bibi, confirmed that the spouse of the former prime minister had been denied casting the vote through a postal ballot.

PTI’s appeal to public

Meanwhile, as the nation goes to polls today (Thursday), the PTI has appealed to the public to remember the party’s incarcerated founding chairman, Imran Khan, who it said was fighting the battle to restore the country’s dignity, honour and sovereignty and ensure the welfare of its people.

In a message, PTI Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan said Mr Khan had dedicated everything, including his life, to that cause. “As citizens of the country, we have a debt to pay. We must use our vote to change the face of Pakistan by dismantling a rotten system that has cast a vicious stranglehold on the country and its people,” he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

“This can happen only if you (voters) ensure that you use the power of the vote to bring back PTI and free Imran Khan from the clutches of his captors. That day is here. That moment is here,” Mr Hasan added.

“Nothing should deter you from going to the polling station and using the power of your vote to change Pakistan so that it gets on course to realise the dream of its creation as was visualised by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah,” he added. “Move out. Move on. Viva la victory.”

SOURCE: DAWN
 
Whatever steps are necessary, ECP should take it to stop rigging in the election. Networks should also be restored asap to ensure smooth communication.

-----------------------------

ECP sets up ‘Election City’ for results sharing

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) established an ‘Election City’ on its premises, equipped with the latest technology, to swiftly disseminate election results of 855 constituencies to the media, officials said on Wednesday.

Information Technology Director Muhammad Khizer Aziz told the media persons that a comprehensive strategy was in place to receive election results via WhatsApp, email, and fax. He added that the ECP had set up a website to ensure uninterrupted dissemination of results in case of any disruptions.

The ECP would use the Election Management System (EMS) for the transmission of the election results. The EMS would operate even if the internet connectivity was unavailable, with satellite communication had also been deployed in some areas facing connectivity issues.

The EMS comprises two components, Aziz said, adding that the initial capture of results through photos [of results] by the Presiding Officer, followed by the swift transmission to the respective returning officer to Form-45 for onward transmission to ECP and the media.

In case of connectivity issues, the results would be compiled through off-line modules. The presiding officers in all constituencies had been instructed to photograph the Form 45 and send it to their respective returning officers.

The returning officers will then compile the results on Form-47 and share them with the media. Aziz also said that media walls had been installed at each returning officer’s office to share the results, while five media walls had been set up in the ECP ‘Election City’.

tribune.com.pk

ECP sets up ‘Election City’ for results sharing | The Express Tribune

ECP would use EMS for transmission of election results
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
When will the first results start to come?
 
IAJ said:
When will the first results start to come?
Click to expand...
Voting will continue till 5pm and the people who are inside the polling station will be entertained after this time as well. I guess, the results will start flowing in around 7.
 
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Reactions: IAJ
No signals, hope i am able to find my polling station
 
Vote counted massive public voting for PTI let's see what Co have for us, stamp is also of very small size which makes things dubious
 
BouncerGuy said:
Whatever steps are necessary, ECP should take it to stop rigging in the election. Networks should also be restored asap to ensure smooth communication.

-----------------------------

ECP sets up ‘Election City’ for results sharing

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) established an ‘Election City’ on its premises, equipped with the latest technology, to swiftly disseminate election results of 855 constituencies to the media, officials said on Wednesday.

Information Technology Director Muhammad Khizer Aziz told the media persons that a comprehensive strategy was in place to receive election results via WhatsApp, email, and fax. He added that the ECP had set up a website to ensure uninterrupted dissemination of results in case of any disruptions.

The ECP would use the Election Management System (EMS) for the transmission of the election results. The EMS would operate even if the internet connectivity was unavailable, with satellite communication had also been deployed in some areas facing connectivity issues.

The EMS comprises two components, Aziz said, adding that the initial capture of results through photos [of results] by the Presiding Officer, followed by the swift transmission to the respective returning officer to Form-45 for onward transmission to ECP and the media.

In case of connectivity issues, the results would be compiled through off-line modules. The presiding officers in all constituencies had been instructed to photograph the Form 45 and send it to their respective returning officers.

The returning officers will then compile the results on Form-47 and share them with the media. Aziz also said that media walls had been installed at each returning officer’s office to share the results, while five media walls had been set up in the ECP ‘Election City’.

tribune.com.pk

ECP sets up ‘Election City’ for results sharing | The Express Tribune

ECP would use EMS for transmission of election results
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
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If you shut down Internet and phone services, this is what happens after. GOVT. should restore services asap. This is not good.

---------------------------------

ECP Central Control Room goes 'non-operational' amid mobile and internet suspension

The central control room of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) became inactive due to the shutdown of mobile phone and internet services.

The central control room of the ECP became inactive due to the shutdown of mobile phone and internet service. According to the spokesperson of the control room, no complaint has been received yet.

ECP Control spokesperson Room Haroon Shinwari said that no complaints have been received due to the shutdown of internet and mobile phone service and no complaint has been received in the control room so far, but polling is being held peacefully across the country.

It is pertinent to note that the polling process for the general elections 2024 is being held, however, due to security concerns, the caretaker government has decided to temporarily shut down mobile and internet services across the country.

Bilawal urges restoration of mobile phone services

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged the ECP to restore mobile phone services immediately across the country.

"I have asked my party to approach both ECP and the courts for this purpose," he said. PPP Saeed Ghani also made a similar demand to restore internet service.

Voters decry mobile service suspension

Amid reports of the suspension of internet services and mobile services, voters are facing difficulties in getting to know their constituent's details. Several citizens told SAMAA TV that polling stations and voting information were available only from mobile phones and virtually it has become impossible to avail of ECP 8300 services.

SOURCE: SAMAA NEWS
 
BouncerGuy said:
hahah. I guess you saying this in sarcasm?
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I actually did.

Ppp was not gonna field a candidate in my area. And i will never vote for the Sharifs.

The taking of symbol away, closing mobile connectivity. I disagree with PTI alot and they did win a rigged election last time and their pm was rightly removed aswell, but truth is they were treated unfairly coming to this election.
 
Pti social media goons in action again spreading lies and misinformation .
 
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Casted my Vote.

In Karachi most of the youth is voting for PTI candidates. MQM and JI is also popular. Rest of the parties not so much.

I suspect because PTI is banned. No flags, jalsa or campaigns offline for them. Many people are holding their vote for Imran in secrecy and are quietly voting for his candidates.

Won't be surprised if there are an overwhelming number of votes for PTI despite little to no presence on ground. Although they are pretty actively campaigning on social media.
 
Major said:
I actually did.

Ppp was not gonna field a candidate in my area. And i will never vote for the Sharifs.

The taking of symbol away, closing mobile connectivity. I disagree with PTI alot and they did win a rigged election last time and their pm was rightly removed aswell, but truth is they were treated unfairly coming to this election.
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I though you would be voting for Nawaz party, but this is surprising.
 
Won't be surprised if JI takes a large number of seats. Establishment might be using them this time as they did with pmlq
 
Farooq Sattar urges ECP to take notice of alleged rigging at Karachi polling station

Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan’s (MQM-P) Dr Farooq Sattar has alleged that the Gizri police station house officer, in connivance with the PPP, were casting fake voters at a polling station in Karachi.

In a statement, he said that the alleged rigging was taking place at the Government Boys and Girls Secondary School in P&T Colony.

“The Election Commission of Pakistan should take immediate notice of this and stop this rigging,” he said. “I appeal to the management to sack the Gizri station house officer immediately,” he said.

Source: Dawn
 
For the first time in the history of Pakistan's national elections, it was observed that in Lahore, voters had formed lines outside polling stations 15 minutes before the polling time at 8:00 AM.
 
Major said:
Ended up voting for PTI's independant candidate in National assembly and Punjab Assembly.
Click to expand...
I was somewhat undecided if I was going to vote or not. As the system is naked and rigged. Even the world knows it. But I ended up voting anyways just in spite and because it is something I have in hand that I could use.
 
PPP files complaint to ECP over election day network disruptions

PPP has officially filed a complaint with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding the widespread disruptions in mobile and internet services on polling day.

PPP Election Cell Incharge Taj Haider, in a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, expressed concern over the suspension.

In the letter, Haider emphasised the detrimental impact of the unannounced interruptions in internet and mobile network connectivity across the country on the electoral process.

"We, the Pakistan Peoples Party, are concerned about the recent unannounced disruptions of internet and mobile network connectivity across Pakistan, which is severely impacting the General Elections."

The complaint underscored the practical challenges faced by voters due to the nationwide disruption, preventing them from accessing crucial information about their respective polling stations and coordinating logistics for their participation in the electoral process.

"Due to this countrywide disruption, voters are unable to access information related to their polling station or coordinate logistics to access the polling stations."

The repercussions of the network services discontinuation were not limited to voters alone but also extended to candidates and electoral staff. The complaint elaborated on the broader consequences: "The discontinuation of network services has created problems for voters, candidates, and electoral staff."

Recognising the essential role of internet and mobile networks in facilitating the electoral process, the PPP urged the ECP to promptly intervene and restore connectivity.

"The immediate restoration of mobile network and internet will demonstrate ECP's commitment to free, fair, and transparent Elections 2024."

Source: Express Tribune
 
If the results of this election are rigged. They will have a job and a half to do. Almost 90 percent of people I know have voted PTI.
 
Voting time is over. Counting of votes has started. Which party do you want to come out on top?
 
Speaking to the media, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja said that they are in touch with the government to restore the mobile phone network, the Election Commission will not give any instructions to the Ministry of Interior regarding internet services.

He said that we should open the mobile service somewhere and if there is an incident of terrorism, who will be responsible? Yesterday there were incidents of terrorism in Balochistan, it is the job of the Ministry of Interior and agencies to review the security situation.

Sikandar Sultan Raja further said that it is hoped that the election process will be completed successfully, the returning officers will give the results by February 9 at two o'clock.

It should be noted that it was decided to temporarily suspend mobile phone service across the country before 8 am.

In this regard, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior said that it has been decided to temporarily shut down internet and mobile services across the country.

Source Dunya News
 
ECP says 76 poll-related complaints received and resolved

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said it has resolved 76 poll-related complaints, which were received throughout the day.

According to the ECP spokesperson, most of the complaints were of a “normal nature” involving confrontations between political workers in different areas which were resolved on the spot.

Dawn
 
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to extend the voting time in two constituencies as the voting process delayed in several constituencies, ARY News reported.

As per details, the Election Commission of Pakistan has extended the voting time in three polling stations of two constituencies which include NA-63 Gujrat and PP-28 Gujrat for two hours.

Prior to this, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said that there is no suggestion underway regarding extending polling time in ongoing general elections.

The polling process will continue till 5 pm across the country without any break while election results can be broadcast after 6 pm.

In a separate incident, at least five cops martyred and two others sustained injuries as explosion occurred near police vehicle in Kulachi DI Khan.

As per details, the explosion occurred in Garah Aslam area of Kulachi which targeted a police vehicle.

In Gujranwala’s PP-66, punches and kicks were exchanged after a clash erupted between two groups outside a polling station.

It is pertinent to mention here that polling began at 8 am today and will continue uninterrupted till 5 pm as more than 128 million voters are set to elect their representatives for the national and provincial assemblies for the next five years in what appears to be one of the most unpredictable general elections in Pakistan’s political history.

Source: ARY

arynews.tv

ECP extends voting time in THESE constituencies

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to extend the voting time in two constituencies as the voting process delayed in several
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
PTI supporters are alleging rigging because they are afraid of not getting the results they want.
 
After reading all this.....i can only say......
Thanks God i am in India ......A true democratic country
 
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