Reserved seats to be allocated on pro rata basis
By Khalid Amin

ISLAMABAD—Election Commission of Pakistan Thursday announced to fill the seats reserved for women through Proportional Representation of Political Parties and in accordance with the priority lists of candidates submitted to the Commission by the parties. Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad has also drawn attention to sub-clause (e) of Clause (3) of Article 5 of the Conduct of General Elections Order, 2002.
This clause provides that the members to fill seats reserved for women which are allocated to a Province shall be elected through Proportional Representation System of Political Parties’ lists of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats won by each political party from the Province concerned in the National Assembly.
Similarly, Sub-Clause (f) further provides that the members to fill seats reserved for non-Muslims shall be elected through Proportional Representation system of political parties’ list of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats owned by each political party in the National Assembly. Furthermore, clause (d) of Article 6 of the Conduct of General Elections Order, 2002 envisages that the members to fill the seats reserved for women and non-Muslims allocated to a Province shall be elected through Proportional representation system of political parties’ list of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats won by each political party in the Provincial Assembly.
The Secretary further clarified, “provided that the purpose of a term ‘total number of general seats’ shall include the independent returned candidates who may duly join such political party within three (3) days of the publication in the official Gazette of the names of the returned candidates.”
The independent returned candidates are required to apply to the leader of the political party for joining his party and the leader of the party forthwith is required to inform the Election Commission of his joining through a letter to be delivered to the Election Commission in terms of sub-rule (5) of rule 3 of the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies Allocation of Reserved Seats for Women and non-Muslims (Procedure) Rules, 2002. Meanwhile, Election Commission of Pakistan has directed all the successful Independent candidates to join any party within three days after the announcement of official results of these elections for the smooth completion of the electoral process.
Secretary Election Commission, Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad while talking to BBC has confirmed these report and said that according to law, official results of general elections are announced within 14-days after elections. In this way the official results of election 2008 will be announced on 1st March.