Diverse Candidate Pool Emerges For Hazara Division In Upcoming General Elections

ABBOTTABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Dec, 2023) A total of 173 male and female candidates have submitted their nomination papers for the seven National assembly Constituencies of Hazara division for upcoming general elections in 2024.

Additionally, 455 candidates, both male and female, have entered the race for the 18 provincial assembly constituencies in the region.

According to the Regional Election Commission office in Abbottabad, 163 male and 10 female candidates have filed papers for the seven National Assembly constituencies in the Hazara division. Notably, women contestants have emerged in four constituencies (NA-15, 16, 17, and 18), while three constituencies will see only male candidates competing.

In the 18 provincial assembly constituencies of Hazara division, 419 male and 36 female contestants have submitted their nomination papers. Remarkably, women candidates have participated in 14 out of 18 constituencies, including Kohistan, where women traditionally do not engage in political activities. The four constituencies with no women candidates are PK-32, 34, 35, and 38.

Breaking down the total nomination papers, for the two national assembly constituencies of Abbottabad district, 48 male and 5 female contestants have filed papers.

From the four provincial assembly constituencies in the district, 114 male and 10 female contenders have submitted nomination papers.

In Haripur district, 19 male and 3 female candidates have filed nomination papers for the single national assembly seat, while 43 male and 13 female candidates have submitted papers for three provincial assembly seats.

For the two national assembly seats in Mansehra district, 47 male and 2 female candidates have filed nomination papers. No female candidate from the city areas of the district expressed interest in contesting the elections. From the five provincial constituencies in the district, 120 male and 6 female candidates have submitted their papers.

Battagram stands out as the only district in Hazara where no female contestant has entered the general elections. For the lone national assembly seat, 13 male candidates have filed nomination papers, and for the two provincial assembly seats, 33 male candidates have submitted their papers.

In NA-12, covering Kohistan Upper, Lower, and Kolai Palas, 30 male candidates have filed papers. From the three provincial assembly constituencies in the area, 83 male and 6 female candidates have submitted their nomination papers.