PESHAWAR: The merged districts of KP-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa- now have only half the representation, with three districts combined into one seat in the National Assembly, following the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) adjustment of constituencies based on the 2023 census.
As the ECP released the final list of constituencies, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s representation in the National Assembly has reduced from 51 seats to 45.
As a result of the new delimitation, the merged districts’ seats in the National Assembly, which previously numbered 12, now account for six seats. In a significant shift, three districts—Lower South Waziristan, Upper South Waziristan, and North Waziristan—have been consolidated into a single seat, combining their previous separate representations. South Waziristan, now divided into two districts, and North Waziristan, which previously held one seats each, now share a combined representation.
It is the largest constituency area-wise, with a total area of 11,327 square kilometres—larger than Islamabad, which, despite having three constituencies, has a combined area smaller than this single constituency. Even Rawalpindi, with its six and a half seats, is surpassed in size.
Additionally, Orakzai, the erstwhile FATA district, has merged with Hangu, resulting in the combination of their respective seats into one constituency. Further adjustments include the abolition of one National Assembly seat in Bajaur district, where former NA 40 and NA 41 have merged into the new NA 8. The districts of Khyber, represented by NA-43 and NA-44, have also been combined into a single seat.
The two seats in the Kurram district, previously divided on a sectarian basis, have now merged into one seat. Formerly, ex-Fata was granted eight seats in the National Assembly during the first delimitation under the 1973 Constitution, aligning with its proportional share in the preceding population census held a year earlier.
During the delimitation conducted under the administration of retired General Pervez Musharraf, the merged districts were allocated 12 National Assembly seats.
It is noteworthy to mention here that the mainstreaming of the erstwhile federally administered tribal areas (Fata), leading to the elimination of eight seats in the upper house of Parliament.
