ECP sets by-election wheels in motion

By-polls on six NA, 17 provincial assembly seats slated for April 21

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the schedule for by-polls on Tuesday, slated for six National Assembly and 17 provincial assembly seats, to be conducted on April 21.

In an issued notification, the top electoral body laid out the election programme for the vacant NA and PA seats, where reelection will be held in the coming week.

As per the notification, the by-polls are set for six NA, 12 Punjab Assembly, 2 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly, 2 Balochistan Assembly, and one Sindh Assembly seat.

A total of 239 candidates are slated to participate in the upcoming by-elections, with 50 contenders vying for NA seats. Notably, Pakistan Peoples Party leader Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari secured her position unopposed in the NA-207 constituency, while another PPP leader, Zubair Ahmed Junejo, faced no opposition on the PS-80 Dadu seat.

Consequently, 23 candidates are contesting by-polls for K-P Assembly seats, 154 candidates for Punjab Assembly seats, and 12 candidates for Balochistan Assembly seats.

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According to the ECP spokesperson, polling material has been distributed to the provincial election commissioner, and all district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs) are diligently fulfilling their duties in line with the by-polls’ schedule.

Furthermore, the spokesperson noted that the printing of ballot papers has been ongoing since March 30.

The commission is also coordinating with the interior and defence ministries, along with provincial law enforcement agencies (LEAs), to ensure the peaceful conduct of the by-elections, the spokesperson added.

By-elections are set to occur on several National Assembly (NA) seats, including NA-8 Bajaur, NA-44 Dera Ismail Khan-I, NA-119 Lahore-III, NA-132 Kasur-II, NA-196 Kamber Shadadkot-I, and NA-207 Shaheed Benazirabad-I.

The elections for NA-8 Bajaur and PK-22 Bajaur-IV were halted following the tragic death of an independent candidate contesting in these constituencies.

Additionally, the NA-44 seat became vacant after the newly-elected KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur decided to retain his provincial seat from DI Khan.

NA-119 Lahore-III was left vacant when Maryam chose to contest for the provincial seat she had won, while NA-132 Kasur became available after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif opted to keep his NA-123 Lahore-VII seat.

Prime Minister Shehbaz also secured victories on Punjab Assembly seats PP-158 and PP-164, but his decision to retain his NA seat left the provincial assembly seats empty.

Furthermore, the NA seats from Sindh's constituencies, NA-196 Kamber Shadadkot-I, and NA-207 Shaheed Benazirabad-I, were vacated after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto retained the seat he won in Larkana, while President Asif Ali Zardari relinquished his seat upon his election as head of state.

Other provincial assembly seats slated for by-polls include Punjab's PP-22 Chakwal-Cum-Talagang, PP-32 Gujrat-VI, PP-36 Wazirabad-II, PP-54 Narowal-I, PP-93 Bhakkar-V, PP-139 Sheikhupura-IV, PP-147 Lahore-III, PP-149 Lahore-V, PP-158 Lahore-XIV, PP-164 Lahore-XX, PP-266 Rahim Yar Khan-XII, PP-290 Dera Ghazi Khan-V; KP's PK-22 Bajaur-IV, PK-91 Kohat-II; Balochistan's PB-20 Khuzdar-III, PB-22 Lasbela; and Sindh's PS-80 Dadu-I.