ECP calls off 37 NA by-polls

Punjab PA election process begins with filing of nominations

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) called off by-elections in 37 National Assembly constituencies in light of the decisions of the high courts concerned, the polls supervisor said on Sunday.

The announcement came as the ECP kick-started a seven-week election process for the Punjab Assembly with the filing of nomination papers for the April 30 vote. The ECP is also holding by-elections on six National Assembly seats in the province.

The ECP issued four separate notifications, calling off the by-polls in 24 constituencies in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), nine in Sindh, three in Islamabad and one in Balochistan, which were scheduled to take place on March 16 and 19.

According to the notifications, in light of the orders of the high courts of Sindh, Islamabad, Peshawar and Balochistan, the ECP was suspending the elections schedule for these 37 by-polls.

The by-elections were triggered after National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf accepted resignations of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers earlier this year.

A total of 123 PTI MNAs had resigned en masse on April 11 last year – two days after party Chairman Imran Khan was removed from the post of prime minister through a no-confidence vote.

On January 17, the speaker accepted the resignations of 34 PTI lawmakers, and one member of the Awami League (AML), an ally of the PTI. Three days later, 35 more resignations were accepted, including one of AML chief Sheikh Rashid.

On January 25, the ECP de-notified 43 PTI lawmakers and two days later announced the by-elections to 33 National Assembly seats on March 16. It also announced 31 more by-polls for March 19 in February.

On March 1, the Islamabad High Court suspended the de-notification of three PTI lawmakers and a day later, the Balochistan High Court suspended the de-notification of PTI leader Qasim Suri and stopped the by-polls on his seat from Quetta.

On March 3, the Peshawar High Court suspended the notification for by-elections on 24 NA seats from K-P, while the Sindh High Court suspended the ECP’s notification for by-polls in nine National Assembly seats till April 25.

The ECP notifications said that until further orders from the relevant courts, it was suspending the election schedule for NA-02 Swat-I, NA-03 Swat-II, NA-04 Swat-III, NA-05 Upper Dir-I, NA-06 Lower Dir-I, NA-07 Lower Dir-II, NA-08 Malakand Protected Area, NA-09 Buner, NA-16 Abbottabad-II, NA-17 Haripur-I, NA-18 Swabi-I, NA-19 Swabi-II, NA-20 Mardan-I, NA-25 Nowshera-I, NA-26 Nowshera-II, NA-28 Peshawar-II, NA-30 Peshawar-IV, NA-32 Kohat, NA-34 Karak, NA-38 D I Khan-I, NA-40 Bajaur-I, NA-42 Mohmand, NA-43 Khyber-I, NA-44 Khyber-II, NA-52 Islamabad-I, NA-53 Islamabad-II, NA-54 Islamabad-III, NA-241 Korangi Karachi-III, NA-242 Karachi East-I, NA-243 Karachi East-II, NA-244 Karachi East-III, NA-247 Karachi South-II, NA-250 Karachi West-III, NA-252 Karachi West-V, NA-254 Karachi Central-II, NA-256 Karachi Central-IV and NA-265 Quetta-II.

Punjab PA polls

Meanwhile, the election process for the Punjab Assembly began on Sunday as dozens of poll aspirants obtained nomination papers from the ECP regional offices. However, no-one submitted the papers on Sunday.

According to the ECP spokesperson the Punjab election commissioner had established facilitation centres at provincial and district levels to help voters, candidates, and returning officers.

The centres, located in the offices of the district election commissioners would offer guidance, information, and complaint-filing services, relating to the electoral process, enhancing transparency and accessibility, the spokesperson said.