ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) requires an estimated Rs60 million to 70 million to hold elections on each seat of every provincial assembly.

An ECP spokesman said this on Monday in response to queries posed by media related to the expenditure on elections in case Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa legislatures are dissolved. By that count, Rs24 to 29 billion would be required to hold elections on all 412 general seats of the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in case both these legislatures are dissolved. The spokesman said if the assemblies remain intact but a certain number of lawmakers resigned, by-elections would be held on them.

Funds from Rs80 to Rs100 million, on average, are required to hold elections on one seat of the National Assembly, he added. Presently, Punjab Assembly has 297 general seats and the KP Assembly has 115 general seats. The total number of general seats in these two legislatures is 412. In case the two assemblies are dissolved and Rs60 million (per seat) are incurred on holding elections, the total expenditure would be Rs24.72 billion (Rs17.82 billion for Punjab Assembly and Rs6.90 billion for the KP Assembly).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022