As the country gears up for the impending general elections on February 8, roughly 18,000 competitors are ready to pull out all the stops, vying for general seats in both the National and provisional legislatures. The last rundown of challenging candidates, revealed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Form 33, uncovers a different pool of competitors.
Among 17,816 candidates, a huge number, 11,785, will run independently, while the excess 6,031 will address different political parties. While the ECP has given a set of principles for candidates and political parties, the heightening conflict of words among rivals brings up issues about adherence to these rules.
