ECP sets April 21 for by-elections

By-polls schedule for vacant NA, PA seats issued

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday issued the schedule for the by-elections for the vacant seats of the National Assembly and provincial legislatures according to which they would be held on April 21.

According to the commission, the by-elections will be held for six vacant seats of the National Assembly; 12 of the Punjab Assembly, two each of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan legislatures; as well as one of the Sindh Assembly.

The ECP said the nomination papers for the by-elections could be submitted to it from March 16 to 18.
It added that the nomination papers would be scrutinised on March 21.

Appeals against the nomination papers can be submitted to the ECP till March 25.

The commission said the election tribunal would dispose of the appeals till March 28 and the nomination papers could be withdrawn till March 29.

The final list of candidates will be displayed on March 29 and electoral symbols will be allotted on March 30.

As for the background of these constituencies, the general elections for NA-8 Bajaur were postponed because of the murder of a candidate, Rehan Zeb Khan.

As for NA-44 Dera Ismail Khan, it was left vacant by Ali Amin Gandapur for becoming the K-P chief minister.

Similarly, NA-119 Lahore was vacated by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who preferred to become an MPA from PP-159.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif emerged victorious in the elections for two NA and two provincial legislature seats.

He left the NA-132 Kasur as well as Lahore’s PP-158 and 164 seats vacant, opting to being sworn in for NA-123 Lahore.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari won two seats in the National Assembly. He retained NA-194 Larkana, while leaving the seat of NA-196 Qamber Shahdadkot vacant.

His father, PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, left the seat of NA-207 Shaheed Benazirabad to be elected as the president of the country.

The elections were postponed for the K-P Assembly seat PK-22 Bajaur following the murder of a candidate.

The polls for K-P Assembly seat PK-91 Kohat were put off following the death of an ANP leader.

A Sindh Assembly seat fell vacant following the death of Abdul Aziz Junejo, who won the elections from PS-80 Dadu.

In Balochistan, BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal retained NA-256 and left PB-20 Khuzdar vacant.

In Punjab, PML-N leader Ghulam Abbas retained NA-53 Rawalpindi and left PP-22.

Similarly, PML-Q’s Chaudhry Salik Hussain retained NA-64 and vacated PP-32 Gujarat.

PP-36 Wazirabad fell vacant after Muhammad Ahmad Chattha did not take oath.

PP-54 Narowal fell vacant because of PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal not taking oath. He preferred to retain NA-76 Narowal.

PP-139 Sheikhupura fell vacant because of PML-N’s Rana Tanveer not taking oath.

Likewise, the premier’s son Hamza Shehbaz did not take oath for PP-147 Lahore.

PP-149 Lahore fell vacant because of IPP’s Aleem Khan not taking oath. He retained the seat of NA-117 Lahore.

The polls for PP-266 Rahim Yar Khan were postponed because of the death of a candidate.

PP-290 Dera Ghazi Khan was declared vacant after Awais  Leghari did not take oath.