Pakistan's General Election Delayed: New Schedule Sparks Controversy amidst Economic, Political, and Security Crises

Pakistan's general election, originally scheduled for November, has been delayed and will now take place in the last week of January 2024, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The delay is due to the need for fresh marking of constituencies, with a preliminary list of delimitations set to be published on September 27. The final list will be released by November 30.

The election campaign, which will run for 54 days, will conclude around the same time as the general polls. The decision to delay the election has been met with some distress from political parties, who are pressuring the ECP to shorten the delimitation process. However, the caretaker Prime Minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, has reassured the public that the democratic process will not be delayed and that the general elections will proceed as planned.

The decision to delay the election has brought an end to the uncertainty surrounding the voting schedule, as the approval of the new census results had raised concerns about a possible delay in the polls. Pakistan is currently facing economic, political, and security crises, which adds to the significance of the upcoming general election. The country has been grappling with an economic downturn, political instability, and a resurgence of violence by armed groups.