ECP Records Clarify KP National Assembly Constituency Boundaries

Official Election Commission of Pakistan records set out the current National Assembly constituency boundaries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as administrative changes in Swat and other districts renew attention on how electoral areas are described.

The commission's published Form 7 for the 2023 delimitation remains the authoritative public record for National Assembly constituencies used in the 2024 general election. It identifies three Swat seats as NA-2 Swat-I, NA-3 Swat-II and NA-4 Swat-III, while separately listing NA-36 Hangu-cum-Orakzai and NA-38 Karak.

These distinctions matter because inaccurate constituency names can confuse voters about registration, representation and the territorial extent of a seat. Any later re-description or boundary change must be established through a formal ECP notification rather than inferred from a change in district or tehsil administration.

Current Swat constituencies

Under the ECP's final National Assembly delimitation record, NA-2 Swat-I includes Bahrain and Khwazakhela tehsils, Charbagh and specified parts of Babuzai. NA-3 Swat-II covers Mingora and Barikot together with designated areas of Kabal and Babuzai, while NA-4 Swat-III includes Matta and the remaining parts of Kabal described in the notification.

The exact description is important because constituency boundaries often follow revenue units such as tehsils, qanungo halqas, patwar circles and census circles rather than familiar city limits alone. A settlement may therefore be administratively associated with one district but placed within a precisely defined electoral segment.

Swat's administrative structure changed again in 2026. In February, the ECP withdrew part of a local-government delimitation schedule after the provincial government bifurcated the district into Swat and Bar Swat. That notification concerned village and neighbourhood councils, not a new final list of National Assembly seats.

The distinction between local-government delimitation and parliamentary delimitation is essential. Both are conducted by the ECP, but they operate under different provisions and produce different electoral maps.

Hangu, Orakzai and Karak remain separately identified

The current Form 7 lists NA-36 as Hangu-cum-Orakzai, comprising Hangu and Orakzai districts. Karak is listed separately as NA-38 Karak. NA-37 lies between them in the numbering and covers Kurram.

That sequence means Karak should not be added to the formal name of NA-36 unless the commission issues a later notification that expressly changes the constituency. Administrative adjustments involving villages or revenue boundaries also need to be read against the full notification because moving one area can affect the population balance of neighbouring seats.

The Elections Act requires delimitation to consider population distribution, geographically compact areas, administrative boundaries, communication facilities and public convenience. No single factor automatically controls the outcome, and a change to a district boundary does not by itself rewrite the parliamentary map.

Tank and Dera Ismail Khan seats

The official record describes NA-43 Tank-cum-Dera Ismail Khan as including Tank district, Paniala and Kulachi tehsils and the Yarik qanungo halqa of Dera Ismail Khan tehsil.

NA-44 Dera Ismail Khan-I includes Paharpur tehsil, specified municipal and cantonment census areas, and named qanungo halqas including Shor Kot, Chahkan and part of Dera Ismail Khan. NA-45 Dera Ismail Khan-II covers Daraban and Parowa tehsils, Darazinda subdivision and specified parts of Muryali and Dera Ismail Khan.

These descriptions can be difficult to reduce to a short list of towns because exclusions at patwar-circle level determine which seat covers a particular locality. Voters seeking confirmation should therefore use ECP registration services and the exact notification rather than relying solely on an informal summary.

How an official revision works

The ECP has previously used re-description notifications when new districts, tehsils or subdivisions were created. A December 2022 commission notification, for example, proposed adjustments following administrative changes while explaining whether the territorial extent of a constituency had actually changed.

Such a process normally identifies the legal authority, existing description, proposed wording and reason for the adjustment. Depending on the type of exercise, the commission may also invite objections or representations before publishing a final list.

Until a newer final parliamentary notification is published, the commission's existing Form 7 remains the reliable reference for the constituency names and territorial descriptions discussed here. Administrative changes may create a need for future re-description, but they should not be presented as completed National Assembly boundary revisions without that formal record.

For voters, the practical questions are straightforward: which constituency contains their registered address, where they vote and who represents the seat. Accurate reporting must begin with the ECP's final documents because small errors in a constituency suffix or excluded revenue circle can point readers to the wrong electoral area.