11,855 candidates contesting for 849 seats in upcoming Pakistan elections
As many as 11,855 candidates are in the fray for 849 general seats of Pakistan's national and provincial assemblies in the July-25 elections. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued the final list of candidates, according to which, 3,459 candidates will contest on 272 general seats of the National Assembly, while 8,396 are running for 577 general seats of the four provincial assemblies.
Decrease in number of candidates compared to 2013
The National Assembly is a democratically elected body consisting of 342 members, of which 272 are directly elected, 60 seats are reserved for women and 10 for religious minorities. The figures show a significant decrease in the number of candidates compared to the 2013 general-elections when a total of 15,629 candidates, 4,671 for National Assembly and 10,958 for provincial assemblies, were in the field.
Former cricketer Imran Khan to contest from 5 constituencies
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif will contest from four constituencies of three provinces including NA-132 (Lahore), NA-192 (Dera Ghazi Khan), NA-249 (Karachi), and NA-3 (Swat), the report said. Cricketer-turned-politician and the chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has submitted his nomination from five constituencies - NA-35 (Bannu), NA-53 (Islamabad), NA-95 (Mianwali), NA-131 (Lahore), and NA-243 (Karachi).
Late Benazir Bhutto's son to contest from three constituencies
Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is contesting from three seats, one each from Malakand, Lahore, and native Larkana. Meanwhile, his father, Asif Ali Zardari will contest election from NA-213 (Shaheed Benazirabad). Maulana Fazlur Rahman, the chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, is contesting from NA-38 and NA-39 seats from Dera Ismail Khan, the Dawn reported.
Former Pakistan PM Gilani to contest from Multan
Former Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan will contest from NA-59 and NA-63 seats from Rawalpindi. Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq, who is a sitting senator, will contest from the NA-7 seat (Lower Dir) and NA-23 (Charsadda). The Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan is in the run for NA-24 (Charsadda). Former premier Yusuf Raza Gilani will contest NA-158 (Multan) seat.
Seat distribution in the four provincial assemblies
The ECP data shows that 4,036 candidates will fight for 297 general seats of Punjab Assembly; 2,252 candidates will contest 130 seats of the Sindh Assembly; 1,165 will compete for 99 KP Assembly seats; and 943 will vie for 51 seats of the Balochistan Assembly.
