Islamabad: In a meeting held here, the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, chaired by Senator Dr. Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, convened to examine the Free and Fair Election Network’s (FAFEN) detailed analysis of the 2024 General Elections. The session was attended by FAFEN representatives, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs officials, and Senators including Pervaiz Rasheed, Kamran Murtaza, and Sarmad Ali.
FAFEN presented historical election data from 1971 to 2024, highlighting persistent procedural flaws and structural weaknesses. Among key concerns were obstacles to filing complaints in election tribunals, echoed by Senator Kamran Murtaza, who supported the need to simplify the process for greater public accessibility and justice.
The report noted that 1,008 complaints arose from provincial assembly constituencies ahead of the elections, while 345 were recorded across 266 National Assembly constituencies. The Voters’ representation remains a challenge, with some lawmakers representing up to a million citizens, double the standard ratio.
The polling station arrangements drew dissatisfaction from 25% of candidates, and 18.2% of polling agents reportedly did not receive Form 46, a legally required document.
Significant irregularities were documented in the vote counting process. FAFEN observed proper organization in only 8% of cases, while problems were reported in the remaining 92%. Moreover, 3.5% of polling stations—amounting to 21,210 locations—had breaches in ballot secrecy. Despite high public expectations, voter turnout declined to 48% in 2024 from 52% in 2018 and 55.5% in 2013.
Concerns were raised about postal ballot manipulation, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, compared to lower usage in Punjab and Sindh. Although 106,000 postal votes were officially polled, 234,802 were counted, with no clarity on how many were issued. These ballots are counted 72 hours after polling at RO offices in the presence of candidates, and the results are incorporated into Form 48.
FAFEN also disclosed that its observers were barred from RO offices in 135 of 265 constituencies. In 36 of these, results were reportedly altered using rejected votes. The network urged that decisions on rejected and postal ballots should be made during the initial counting, not afterward.
Senator Pervaiz Rashid criticized the use of similar electoral symbols, such as pairing doves with eagles or sheep with lions, which were printed in black and white, leading to voter confusion. The committee chairman remarked that failure to receive Form 46 signified serious procedural lapses.
Legal ambiguities surrounding multiple versions of Form 45 were also highlighted. FAFEN called for a single, photocopied official version to be shared with all agents. Disruptions caused by blocked mobile and internet services were also flagged, as they hindered the submission of Form 45 via the Election Management System, originally based on the Result Transmission System (RTS).
The committee heard recommendations for tightening financial transparency during campaigns, noting that current laws lack caps on political party or individual expenditures. FAFEN proposed enforceable spending limits and full public disclosure of campaign financing.
Broader electoral reforms were also discussed. FAFEN advocated enabling overseas Pakistanis and potentially dual citizens to vote or contest elections, suggesting postal ballots as a viable method. It also urged that minority representation be brought in line with population shares, as was done with women’s reserved seats which increased from 10 to 60.
For future elections, the committee emphasized the establishment of an independent delimitation commission to finalize constituency boundaries at least six months in advance. Greater adoption of electronic voting machines (EVMs) was proposed to reduce the high rate of rejected votes.
Senator Kamran Murtaza argued that transparency would remain elusive until institutional rigging is addressed, rhetorically asking who would “tie the bell around the cat’s neck.” FAFEN reported that winning candidates secured only 21% of registered votes, prompting calls for an audit of Form 45 using other related documents, including Forms 46, 47, and 48.
Chairman Humayun Mohmand concluded that restoring public confidence in the electoral process is essential and that the system must be urgently reformed. The committee plans to revisit these proposals in a future session.
