The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is an independent,autonomous,permanent and constitutionally established federal body responsible for organizing and conducting elections to the national parliament,provincial legislatures,local governments,and the office of president of Pakistan,as well as the delimitation of constituencies and preparation of electoral rolls. As per the principles outlined in the Constitution of Pakistan,the Commission makes such arrangements as needed to ensure that the election is conducted honestly,justly,fairly and in accordance with law,and guard against corrupt practices. The Election Commission was formed on 23 March 1956.
Raja Riaz Ahmed Khan is a Pakistani politician who had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2018 till August 2023. Previously,he was the Punjab Minister for Irrigation and Power and was also the member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab between 1993 and 2013. He had been the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly of Pakistan from May 2022 till August 2023.
The Pakistan Administrative Service,or PAS is an elite cadre of the Civil Services of Pakistan. The Pakistan Administrative Service over the years has emerged as the most consolidated and developed post-colonial institution in Pakistan,with the PAS officers of Grade 22 often seen as stronger than the federal government ministers. The service of PAS is generalist in nature and officers are assigned to different departments all across Pakistan during the course of their careers. Almost all of the country's highest-profile positions such as the Federal Secretaries,the provincial Chief Secretaries,and chairmen of top-heavy organizations like the National Highway Authority,Trading Corporation of Pakistan and State Life Insurance Corporation usually belong to the Pakistan Administrative Service.
Jahangir Khan Tareen is a Pakistani businessman and former politician who is the majority shareholder and CEO of JDW Group,a conglomerate specializing in the manufacturing and sale of sugar and associated products,power generation,transmission and sales,sugar cane farms,and aircraft operations and maintenance services. Jahangir Tareen is also the chairman and owner of JK Group,a conglomerate specializing in manufacturing and sale of sugar and associated products,milk production,processing and sales,power generation,transmission and sales,production and sales of fruits and agricultural produce,granite mining and sales,PepsiCo Multan franchise and PSL Multan Sultans' franchise. Khan has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan thrice between 2002 and 2017. Born in Comilla,Tareen was educated at the Forman Christian College in Lahore,and later attended the University of North Carolina. Prior to entering politics,he had been a lecturer and banker.
Shafqat Mahmood is a Pakistani bureaucrat-turned-politician who served as the Federal Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training,and Federal Minister for National History and Literary Heritage,from 20 August 2018 to 3 April 2022. Before going into politics,he served as a grade 20 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service.
The Chief Election Commissioner is the authority and the appointed chair of the Election Commission of Pakistan—an institution constitutionally empowered to conduct free and fair elections to the national and provincial legislatures.
General elections were held in Pakistan on 25 July 2018 to elect the members of the 15th National Assembly and the four Provincial Assemblies. The three major parties were Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI),led by Imran Khan,the Pakistan Muslim League,led by Shehbaz Sharif,and the Pakistan People's Party,led by Bilawal Bhutto. The PTI won the most seats in the National Assembly but fell short of a majority;the party subsequently formed a coalition government with several smaller parties. At the provincial level,the PTI remained the largest party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP);the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) retained its dominance in Sindh;and the newly formed Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) emerged as the largest party in Balochistan. In Punjab,the result was a hung parliament,with the Pakistan Muslim League (N) winning the most seats. However,after several independent MPAs joined the PTI,the latter became the largest party and was able to form a government.
Fawad Hasan Fawad is a Pakistani public policy practitioner,former civil servant,diplomat and poet who served in BPS-22 grade as the Principal Secretary to two Prime Ministers,Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi;and later as caretaker Federal Minister for Privatisation and Federal Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination.
Chaudhry Aamir Sultan Cheema is a Pakistani politician who was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from February 2019 until November 2022. Previously he was a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab,between 1988 and May 2018. He is the son of Anwar Ali Cheema,a former Federal Minister of Industries and Production.
Abdul Aleem Khan is a Pakistani politician and businessman from Lahore. Abdul Aleem Khan currently serves as a member of the National Assembly after being elected from Constituency NA 117,Shahdara Lahore in the general elections held on February 8th 2024. Abdul Aleem Khan owns Samaa TV and Vision Group. He was also the Senior Minister of Punjab and Minister of Food from 2020 to 2021. He also served as a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab from August 2018 to 2021. He announced his separation from politics on Twitter in a tweet. Later in a statement to the media,he said that he had no intentions of joining politics again and that he would focus on the welfare work done through the Abdul Aleem Khan Foundation but soon after the economic crisis and instability in Pakistan,he decided to join politics again and launched the political party along with renowned politician Jahangir Khan Tareen named the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party in June 2023. He is a founding member and president of the party.
Jawad Rafique Malik is an officer of Pakistani civil service in BPS-22 grade currently serving as Federal Secretary of the Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Division. Hailing from Lahore,Malik belongs to the Pakistan Administrative Service and is batchmates with Fawad Hasan Fawad,Rizwan Ahmed,Sikandar Sultan Raja and Shoaib Mir Memon.
Fawad Ahmed Hussain Chaudhry is a Pakistani politician who served as Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting,in office since 14 April 2021 to 10 April 2022. On 24 May 2023 announced he is taking "break" from politics.
General elections,originally scheduled to be held in 2023,were held in Pakistan on 8 February 2024 to elect the Members of the 16th National Assembly. The Election Commission of Pakistan announced the detailed schedule on 15 December 2023.
Provincial elections were held in the Pakistani province of Punjab on 8 February 2024 to elect a new provincial legislature. On 5 August 2023,the results of the 2023 digital census were approved by the Council of Common Interests headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Therefore,elections have been delayed for several months,as new delimitations will be published on 14 December 2023,as announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). On 2 November 2023,the ECP announced,in agreement with the President of Pakistan,Arif Alvi,that the elections will be held on 8 February 2024. This election will be held concurrently with nationwide general elections and other provincial elections.
Provincial elections were held in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 8 February 2024 to elect members of the 12th Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On 5 August 2023,the results of the 2023 digital census were approved by the Council of Common Interests headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Therefore,elections have been delayed for several months,as new delimitations will be published on 14 December 2023,as announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). On 2 November 2023,the ECP announced,in agreement with the President of Pakistan,Arif Alvi,that the elections would be held on 8 February 2024. This election was held concurrently with nationwide general elections and other provincial elections.
The Toshakhana reference case was a landmark decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that disqualified Imran Khan,former prime minister of Pakistan,from holding public office for five years.
2023 Pakistani parliamentary crisis began when 127 MNAs belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) resigned en masse from National Assembly. Finally,all by-elections have been suspended by the High Courts from the four provinces.
By-elections were to be held for 6 National Assembly constituencies in Pakistan on 28 May 2023.
Liaquat Ali Chattha is a Pakistani civil servant in PMS-20 Grade who recently served as the Commissioner of Rawalpindi Division.
The 2024 Pakistani general election was marred by allegations of vote rigging and delayed results. These allegations led to widespread protests and unrest across the country. The Military Establishment was accused of rigging in favour of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N)'s leader Nawaz Sharif to keep the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's leader Imran Khan out of the electoral race. Foreign media,observer groups and members of the international community,including the United States,United Kingdom and the European Union,have voiced their concerns about the fairness of the elections.
Pakistani