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
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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, UK discuss regional security, cross-border attacks as senior official visits Islamabad
- British envoy for Afghanistan Richard Lindsay’s visit comes at a time of a surge in militancy in Pakistan’s border regions
- Pakistani diplomat says both sides reviewed broader security challenges, emphasized coordination to address ‘shared concerns’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and British officials have discussed regional security challenges and cross-border attacks during talks in Islamabad, a Pakistani diplomat said on Tuesday, during a visit of the United Kingdom’s Afghanistan envoy, Richard Lindsay, to the Pakistani capital.
Pakistan and the UK regularly cooperate on counterterrorism and security, with a focus on intelligence-sharing to combat militant activity. Lindsay’s visit comes at a time of a rise in militancy in Pakistan’s western provinces, which border Afghanistan.
Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, said the discussions in Islamabad focused on the regional security situation, particularly the urgent challenge posed by cross-border attacks.
“We also exchanged views on the latest regional security developments and broader security challenges,” he said on X. “We emphasized the importance of continued cooperation and coordination to address shared concerns and promote regional stability.”
Islamabad frequently accuses Afghanistan of allowing its soil and India of backing militant groups, such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), for attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi deny this.
In recent years, Pakistan and the UK have engaged with each other on counterterrorism and cross-border crimes as part of bilateral cooperation.
Both sides held the second round of the Pakistan-UK Counter Terrorism Dialogue in London in February last year, reviewing global and regional threats and exchanging best practices. Over the years, armed forces of both countries have also maintained close cooperation, particularly in counterterrorism efforts and professional military training.
