NA-17 & NA-12 Record KP’s Lowest Gender Gaps in Voter Registration

While NA-17 Abbottabad-II recorded Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s lowest gender gap in voter registration as a percentage of its total electorate at 3.79%, NA-12 Kohistan Upper-cum-Kohistan Lower-cum-Kolai Pallas Kohistan had the smallest absolute gap — with 12,367 fewer women registered than men. The contrast between the two constituencies is also a contrast in scale: Abbottabad-II’s electorate is more than twice the size of Kohistan Upper’s, which is why a larger absolute gap can still produce a lower percentage figure.

According to data released by the ECP, both constituencies fall well below the 10% threshold under the Elections Act, 2017. However, Kohistan Upper presents a particular analytical note: its absolute gap increased slightly between 2024 and 2026, even as the percentage held flat — a pattern that warrants monitoring.

NA-17 Abbottabad-II: lowest percentage gap in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

ECP data show that NA-17 Abbottabad-II had 216,424 registered male voters against 200,601 registered female voters as of 2026, for a total registered electorate of 417,025. Male voters constituted 52% of the registered electorate and female voters 48%. The gender gap of 15,823 — equivalent to 3.79% of the total electorate — was the lowest percentage gap recorded among all National Assembly constituencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In 2024, the constituency recorded a gender gap of 17,461, equivalent to 4.38% of its then-total electorate of 398,195. By 2026, the gap had narrowed by 1,638 voters in absolute terms and by 0.59 percentage points. The constituency’s total registered electorate grew by 18,830 voters over this period, with male voters increasing by 8,596 and female voters by 10,234. The faster growth in female registrations accounts for the reduction across both measures.

NA-12 Kohistan Upper-cum-Kohistan Lower-cum-Kolai Pallas Kohistan: smallest absolute gap in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

NA-12 Kohistan Upper-cum-Kohistan Lower-cum-Kolai Pallas Kohistan had 107,354 registered male voters and 94,987 registered female voters in 2026, for a total electorate of 202,341. The gender gap of 12,367 was the smallest in absolute terms among all National Assembly constituencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. As a percentage of the total electorate, the gap stood at 6.11%.

In 2024, the gender gap stood at 11,705 — equivalent to 5.97% of its then-total electorate of 196,125. By 2026, the absolute gap had increased by 662 voters and the percentage gap had risen by 0.14 percentage points. The constituency’s total registered electorate grew by 6,216 voters between 2024 and 2026, with male voters increasing by 3,439 and female voters by 2,777. The faster growth in male registrations accounts for the slight widening of the gap in both absolute and percentage terms. While the gap remains the smallest in absolute terms in the province and well below the legal threshold, the reversal in direction — however modest — is a trend that consistent registration efforts should address.

What the Elections Act requires

The continued presence of a gap of this nature underscores the need for sustained institutional action. Section 47(1) of the Elections Act, 2017 requires the ECP to annually publish disaggregated data of registered male and female voters in each constituency and to highlight the difference in their numbers. Under Section 47(2), the Commission must take special measures in any constituency where this difference exceeds 10 percent, including measures to reduce this variation. Section 47(3) further specifies that these measures shall include action by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to expedite National Identity Card (NIC) issuance for women in affected constituencies, and by the ECP to enrol them as voters in the relevant electoral area. This provision places a clear, joint institutional responsibility on both NADRA and the ECP to address the gender gap where it crosses the legal threshold.

These measures include targeted voter registration campaigns, NIC facilitation drives, and community-level outreach to address the barriers that continue to limit women’s registration. Consistent implementation of these provisions is critical to ensuring that the downward trend in the gender gap is sustained and accelerated in the electoral rolls ahead of the next general elections.