- Imran Khan contesting for seven of eight seats up for grabs.
- By-elections set to take place despite government’s objection.
- Polling will also be held on three Punjab Assembly seats.
Pakistan will be brimming with intense political activity today (Sunday) as scores of candidates are going to lock horns for eight National Assembly seats in the by-elections for which electioneering has now closed.
Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan is fighting for seven of eight seats up for grabs in the key by-election, a vote he says is “a referendum” on his popularity.
The by-polls are the latest twist in political wrangling that began after Khan’s April 10 ouster via a parliamentary no-confidence vote — making him the first prime minister to be voted out of office.
Candidates can stand for multiple seats in elections. If they win more than one, they choose which to keep, and a separate vote must later be held for those forfeited.
The by-elections come as the nation grapples with the aftermath of devasting monsoon floods that affected more than 30 million people and left a third of the country under water.
The government wanted to delay the elections for at least the next 90 days as it said that security personnel were busy in flood relief works, while there were also reports of terrorist activities during the polls.
But the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) — despite two letters from the Ministry of Interior — rejected the suggestion of delaying the by-polls and asked the relevant authorities to beef up the security.
“Security arrangements should be beefed-up to conduct peaceful elections […] arrangements should be put in place to maintain law and order,” the ECP said in response to the interior ministry’s last letter.
Since the federal government was busy tackling the deadly floods, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was not able to campaign up to the level of PTI as Khan went to every by-election-related jalsa for rallying his supporters.
The constituencies where polling will take place are: NA-22 Mardan-III, NA-24 Charsadda-II, NA-31 Peshawar-V, NA-108 Faisalabad-VIII, NA-118 Nankana Sahib -II, NA 157 Multan-IV, NA-237 Malir-II, NA-239 Korangi, Karachi-I.
The by-poll on NA 45, a tribal area seat, has been postponed over law and order.
The Lower House’s seats were vacated after NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had in July accepted the resignations of PTI MNAs — nine on general seats and two on reserved seats for women.
Moreover, by-elections will also be held on three Punjab Assembly seats — PP-241 Bahawalnagar-V; PP-209 Khanewal-VII, and PP-139 Sheikhupura-V.
ECP finalises arrangements
The ECP has finalised all arrangements for holding by-elections in 11 constituencies — eight of the National Assembly and three of the Punjab Assembly.
The by-polls are being held in three provinces — Punjab, where three seats of National and three of the provincial assembly are vacant; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where it will be held for three NA seats, and Sindh, where candidates will compete for two NA seats.
A total of 101 candidates from different political parties and independents are taking part in the vote: 52 in Punjab, 33 in Sindh and 16 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In Punjab, 1,434 polling stations are established, 979 in KP, and 340 in Karachi.
The polling staff, polling material, ballot papers, and polling bags were delivered to their respective polling stations today with complete security.
The concerned officers in Karachi, Lahore, KP, and Islamabad are monitoring the process of delivery of polling materials from the Control Room.
Separate special control rooms have been established at central and provincial levels to promptly resolve election-related complaints and hurdles in the conduct of impartial elections.
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) has written a letter to Punjab, KP, and Sindh’s chief secretaries, and inspector generals of police to provide comprehensive security to polling staff, candidates, and political parties.
