Punjab is the only province in Pakistan where no National Assembly (NA) constituency records a gender gap exceeding 10 percent between male and female registered voters, according to the constituency-wise electoral rolls published by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on 3 February 2026.

During the General Elections of 2018 (GE-2018), 83 NA constituencies recorded a gender gap in voter registration exceeding 10 percent. This represented approximately 30.5 percent of all NA constituencies nationwide and 58.9 percent of NA constituencies within Punjab province.

Read FAFEN’s story: Gender-Gap exceeding legal limit in 69 Provincial Assemblies

By the General Elections of 2024 (GE-2024), the number of constituencies with a gender gap exceeding 10 percent had declined significantly from 83 to five, accounting for approximately two percent of all NA constituencies nationally and 3.5 percent of Punjab’s NA constituencies.

The electoral roll statistics released in February 2026 indicate that no NA constituency in Punjab now records a gender gap exceeding 10 percent. Taken together, these figures reflect a continuing, though uneven, trajectory toward greater gender parity in voter registration.

Read FAFEN’s story: Constituency-wise electoral rolls as on 3 February 2026

What the Elections Act requires

The continued presence of a gap of this magnitude across Pakistan nonetheless underscores the need for sustained institutional actions. 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 enroll 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.

Read FAFEN’s Story: 54% of Pakistan’s Population Is Registered as Voters

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