Official records indicate that 3,240 candidates seeking to participate in national and provincial elections had their nomination papers rejected by returning officers (ROs) during the recent scrutiny process.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sources have verified that 1,024 candidates, comprising 934 males and 90 females, were deemed ineligible to run for the National Assembly elections.
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Furthermore, 2,216 individuals, including 2,081 men and 135 women, did not receive approval for the provincial assembly race. In total, 3,015 men and 225 women were unable to secure ROs’ endorsement.
Out of a total of 25,951 submissions (24,698 men and 1,253 women), ROs approved 22,711 candidates, with 21,684 men and 1,027 women included. Specifically, for the National Assembly, 6,449 candidates, consisting of 6,094 men and 355 women, were approved.
ROs accepted 16,262 nominations for various provincial assembly seats, including 15,590 men and 672 women. Punjab saw the highest number of rejections (521) for National Assembly nominations, followed by Sindh (166), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (152), Balochistan (92), and Islamabad Capital Territory (93).
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Concerning provincial assembly seats, ROs rejected nomination papers of 943 candidates in Punjab, 520 in Sindh, 386 in Balochistan, and 367 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, making a total of 2,216. The total number of people filing nomination papers to contest provincial assembly elections was 18,478.
During the post-scrutiny phase, candidates have the opportunity to appeal ROs’ decisions before appellate tribunals until January 3, 2024. These appeals will be decided by January 10, 2024, following which a revised list of candidates will be published on January 11, 2024.
Given the substantial number of rejections, the timeframe for tribunals and legal forums to address matters and maintain electoral proceedings appears to be tight.
Notably, a significant portion of PTI candidates faced rejections by the scrutiny deadline, in contrast to smoother approvals for other parties. The acceptance or rejection of nomination papers plays a crucial role in determining who can proceed to contest in the upcoming election, shaping the electoral landscape for the event scheduled on February 8, 2024.