ECP fails to hold by-polls on seven vacant seats

As many as seven national and provincial assembly seats had fallen vacant after death of parliamentarians

ISLAMABAD:

In the wake of coronavirus pandemic, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) could not hold timely by-elections on as many as seven national and provincial assembly seats that had fallen vacant after the death of parliamentarians.

According to sources, the commission is awaiting the response of provincial governments on conducting by-polls in their respective areas. Only provincial governments would decide when the by-elections would be held on national and provincial assembly seats, they added.

The by-elections are yet to be held on two seats each of National Assembly and Sindh Assembly, one each on Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Balochistan assemblies seats.

The NA-75 Sialkot seat was vacant because of the death of lawmaker Syed Iftikharul Hassan and the NA-45 seat of Kurram Agency was vacated after the demise of parliamentarian Munir Khan Orakzai. Other vacant seats awaiting by-elections include PP-51 Gujranwala in Punjab, PS-88 Malir and PS-52 Umerkot in Sindh, PK-63 Nowshera in K-P and PB-20 Pishin in Balochistan.