ISLAMABAD,The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will announce unofficial results of all 859 constituencies of the National and Provincial Assemblies on February 9 which will be issued by the Returning Officers.

“The ECP has already completed all the arrangements to conduct free, fair and transparent general elections across the country on February 8,” the ECP spokesman told APP.

He said the ECP has completed the printing of 260 million ballot papers for all constituencies in the country ahead of the 2024 general elections.

The spokesman said the National Assembly ballots are identifiable by green paper, whereas Provincial Assembly ballots are printed on white paper. Except for some districts, the distribution of printed ballot papers has been finalized across the nation.”

The printing, which commenced on January 14, concluded by February 3. In compliance with a Supreme Court directive, ballot papers for 11 National Assembly and five Provincial Assembly constituencies underwent reprinting, with the original ones set for destruction as per the court order, he said.

He said that this time, a total of 260 million ballot papers were printed, reflecting a 54.74% rise in candidates compared to the 2018 elections. Despite a 195% surge in demand for special paper, effective management led to a reduction from 2400 tonnes to 2177 tonnes.

The distribution of printed ballot papers comprises 5% single-column, 50% double-column, 30% three-column, 11.15% four-column, and 2.4% five-column formats, gearing up for the scheduled February 8 polls. Political parties and independent candidates are actively participating in campaigns, with the election drive slated to conclude on February 6 at 12 pm.