ECP decides to hold by-polls on eight vacant seats

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to hold by-elections in the eight constituencies of the National and the provincial assemblies across the country, which had been delayed for past eight months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

During an ECP meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, the election officials were instructed to issue the by-election schedule at the earliest, while the provincial governments were told to implement the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The ECP held the meeting on a letter written by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Taj Haider, which pointed out that under the Constitution of Pakistan and the law, elections have to be held within 60 days on any vacant seat.

At present, two National Assembly seats and six provincial assembly seats are vacant because of the to death of the elected lawmakers. The by-elections across the country had been delayed for the past eight months on the instructions of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

The vacant seats are NA-75 Sialkot and NA-45 Orakzai, besides PP-51 Gujranwala [Punjab], PS 88 Malir, PS 52, PS 43 Sanghar [Sindh], PK-63 Nowshera [Khyber Pakhtunkhwa], and PB-20 Pishin [Balochistan], it is learnt.

In the ECP meeting on Thursday, Sindh government’s representative Murtaza Wahab participated through video link but there were no representatives from Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments.

During the meeting, the Sindh government assured the election commission of implement the coronavirus SOPs during the by-elections. On that the ECP issued directive for issuing the by-election schedule for the eight constituencies.