ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s election regulator has received nearly 450,000 applications for postal ballots from across the country for both national and provincial assembly elections, it said on Thursday.
The provision allows voting ahead of polling day to government officials, soldiers and other government servants as well as their spouses and children who live outside of their constituencies. Individuals in detention and those with physical disabilities, provided they hold a computerized national identity card (CNIC) with a disability logo issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), are also eligible.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) initiated the postal ballot process on Jan. 6 for eligible individuals to get ballot papers for both national and provincial assembly elections, scheduled for Feb. 8. The regulator set Jan. 22 as the deadline to submit applications.
“The total number of applications received for postal ballot papers is 449,287, including 206,533 for the national assembly and 242,754 for the four provincial assemblies,” an ECP document seen by Arab News said.
The document showed the highest number of applications, 154,050, had been received from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province for both national and provincial assemblies, followed by Punjab with 147,860, Balochistan with 96,308, and Sindh with 51,069 applications.
“For the National Assembly, election officials received 73,586 applications from Punjab, 72,769 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 35,758 from Balochistan, and 24,420 from Sindh,” the document read.
The ECP received 81,281 postal ballot applications for provincial assembly elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 74,274 for Punjab, 60,550 for Balochistan, and 26,649 for Sindh provincial polls.
According to the Elections Act 2017, upon receiving an application from a voter, the returning officer is required to send a ballot paper and an envelope to the voter by post. The envelope should include a form of certificate of posting on its face, indicating the posting date, to be filled in by the relevant post office official when the voter sends it.
Once a postal ballot is received, the act says, a voter is supposed to record their vote as prescribed and then post the ballot paper to the relevant returning officer in the provided envelope, ensuring it reaches its destination before the consolidation of election results.
Pakistan regulator receives nearly 450,000 postal ballot applications for Feb. 8 polls
https://arab.news/89wnx
Pakistan regulator receives nearly 450,000 postal ballot applications for Feb. 8 polls
- Postal balloting allows government officials, security personnel and other specified individuals to vote ahead of polling day
- Highest number of postal ballot requests for national, provincial elections received from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
Pakistan delay call on T20 World Cup participation by a week
- Controversy erupted after India replaced Bangladesh with Scotland over Bangladesh’s decision to not play any matches in India
- Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday lambasted the ICC for its ‘double standards’ when it came to Bangladesh
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will finalize its participation in the Men’s International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup by Feb. 2, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday, following a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The controversy over Pakistan’s participation erupted after the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament following Bangladesh’s decision to not play any matches in India owing to security fears. Bangladesh had requested a venue outside India for their World Cup matches, amid tensions between the two countries.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 tournament will be played from Feb. 7 to Mar. 8 and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with matches being played across both countries and the final scheduled in Ahmedabad.
During a meeting in Islamabad, Naqvi briefed Sharif over the recent developments involving Bangladesh and the ICC.
“Had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif,” Naqvi said in a post on X.
“Briefed him on the ICC matter, and he directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table,” he continued. “It was agreed that the final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday.”
On Sunday, Naqvi lambasted the ICC for its “double standards” when it came to Bangladesh, pointing out that India and Pakistan were allowed to play against each other at neutral venues as per an earlier deal between both cricket boards and the ICC.
Earlier in January, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladesh’s cricketer Mustafizur Rahman due to political tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi since the ouster of former Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina, who later fled to India.
Pakistan will play all their T20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka, one of the tournament’s co-hosts. If Pakistan decides to participate, the country will open their campaign against the Netherlands on Feb. 7 and will face defending champions India on Feb. 15 in a group-stage match in Colombo.
