By-elections see tight security, low turnout, rising rigging complaints
NA 129 by-elections, Punjab
Voting has begun for by-elections in six National Assembly and seven Punjab Assembly constituencies. Polling will continue without interruption until 5 pm.
The by-elections started on schedule. Citizens began arriving early in the morning to cast their votes.
In NA-129, covering densely populated areas of Lahore, polling stations have also opened. There has been a noticeable turnout at the camps of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Tight security arrangements have been implemented for the elections. Special provisions have been made for the convenience of voters, including the elderly and women.
The Punjab government has deployed teams from the “Clean Punjab” initiative to manage sanitation at polling stations.
Supporters were present at the camps of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and other political parties.
Read: PML-N eyes big win in by-polls today
Chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, in a post on the social media platform X, urged people to come out of their homes and use their right to vote. “Two by-elections are being held today in southern Punjab,” Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said.
“Our candidate from PP-269 Muzaffargarh is Mian Almdar Qureshi,” he said. “From NA-185 Dera Ghazi Khan, Dost Muhammad Khosa is the Pakistan Peoples Party candidate,” he added.
“I appeal to the people of Muzaffargarh and Dera Ghazi Khan to come out, vote, and raise their voice,” Bilawal urged.
He instructed party workers to remember that they must not leave the polling station without obtaining Form-45.
Rigging allegations
Chaudhry Arsalan, an independent candidate backed by PTI contesting in NA-129 in Lahore, visited polling stations today. “Complaints are coming in from various polling stations,” Chaudhry Arsalan said.
PTI's Hammad Azhar has accused the Punjab police of reportedly disrupting a PTI camp at Pak Angel School in UC-100, NA-129. He added that party workers have started efforts to restore the camp.
Police have reportedly restricted media coverage at polling stations in NA-129 in Lahore, prohibiting the use of cameras and mobile phones.
ہر پولنگ اسٹیشن سے اطلاع آ رہی ہے کے جتنے بیلٹ پیپر کی کتابیں پرازائڈنگ افسر کو ایشو ہوئی ہیں وہ زیادہ ہیں اور موقع پر کم برامد ہو رہی ہیں۔ pic.twitter.com/RnPHStmi4W
“Our camps are being raided, and polling agents have been detained. I will personally visit the polling stations shortly,” he added.
“Our voters have come out, and victory will be ours,” Chaudhry Arsalan said.
Meanwhile, PTI-backed MPA Mun Javed alleged rigging.
“At most polling stations in the constituency, our people are being stopped. Complaints are coming in from everywhere, and we are visiting the sites,” he said.
“When we go to inspect, they evade us. We will guard our votes everywhere,” Mun Javed added.
Low voter turnout
Turnout in the NA-18 Haripur by-election remains extremely low, with candidates failing to bring voters to the polling stations. Polling stations wore a deserted look, and staff were seen waiting for voters to arrive.
With two hours remaining before the close of polling, the situation remained unchanged.
Voter turnout appears to be very low. At the Bank Colony polling booth, only 23 votes have been cast out of 1,036 registered female voters.
A female voter expressed frustration at the polling arrangements, saying, “Polling booths have been deliberately placed far away. I had to come all the way to Bank Colony from my residence in Choburji to cast my vote.”
PP-269 Muzaffargarh scuffle
Voting at the Karamdad polling station in PP-269 Muzaffargarh was temporarily suspended due to a dispute between two groups.
Law enforcement authorities confirmed that polling has now resumed.
Dera Ghazi Khan
Voter turnout started early in the morning, with citizens arriving at polling stations steadily, at NA-185 in Dera Ghazi Khan.
PPP's Dost Muhammad Khosa and PML-N's Mahmood Qadir Khan Leghari are locked in a competitive fight.
Despite running on a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ticket, Khosa has managed to tap into the PTI vote bank. Local analysts believe that if he succeeds in securing meaningful PTI support, "he might even spring a surprise".
Conversely, Leghari, benefiting from the advantage of the incumbent government and what analysts describe as "unwavering support of the establishment behind this setup", is widely seen as a strong contender for the top spot.
“Only parties that serve the public are true well-wishers of the nation. Citizens are casting their votes to ensure continuity of development and for the betterment of Pakistan and its people,” local voters said.
Strict security arrangements have been implemented at polling stations in accordance with Election Commission directives, with additional personnel deployed at sensitive locations. The district administration and police ensured maximum facilities for polling staff and voters.
According to officials, all polling stations have walk-through gates and separate booths for women. Special ramps and staff have been arranged to assist the elderly and differently-abled citizens, facilitating smooth voting.
Local representatives also expressed satisfaction with the arrangements.
The Election Commission confirmed that polling will continue without interruption until the scheduled closing time, with results prepared according to relevant rules and regulations.
By-Poll Elections
The constituencies where the by-elections are taking place include NA-18 Haripur, NA-96 Faisalabad-II, NA-104 Faisalabad-X, NA-143 Sahiwal-III, NA-185 D.G Khan-II, NA-129 Lahore-XIII, PP-73 Sargodha-III, PP-98 Faisalabad-I, PP-115 Faisalabad-XVIII, PP-116 Faisalabad-XIX, PP-203 Sahiwal-VI, PP-269 Muzaffargarh-II, and PP-87 Mianwali-III.
With most contests shaped by low turnout or predictable margins, the province's political temperature remains relatively steady, except in a handful of constituencies where competition is expected to tighten.
Read more: Govt deploys army for by-poll security
Among the seats up for grabs, the most closely watched remains NA-129 Lahore, the only constituency where the PTI is formally contesting.
PTI had boycotted the rest on principle, citing its rejection of the disqualification of its lawmakers in May 9-related cases, which caused the vacancies.
However, NA-129 fell vacant after the death of sitting MNA Mian Azhar, placing it outside that boycott category.
PTI's Hammad Azhar claimed that Form 45s were "missing" from the election material handed to presiding officers by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ahead of today's by-election in Lahore's NA-129 constituency.
"We are receiving reports that multiple presiding officers are missing Form 45s in the election materials they have received from ECP (Election Commission of Pakistan) for the by-elections of tomorrow. This is a serious violation of the electoral process," he claimed in a post on X.
The interior ministry has approved the deployment of the Pakistan Army and civil armed forces for security in all 13 national and provincial assembly constituencies, where by-elections are being held.
A notification issued by the interior ministry said the approval followed requests from the ECP.
The civil armed forces will be deployed as "second-tier responders (standby/quick reaction)," whereas the troops of the Pakistan Army will serve as "third-tier responders (quick reaction force)" from Friday through Nov 24 (Monday).
Also read: Mianwali gears up for PP-87 by-polls
The exact numbers will be determined by home departments and the ECP based on ground assessments.
Meanwhile, the ECP on Saturday barred media outlets from broadcasting unofficial results of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab by-elections until one hour after the close of polls.
The commission directed that only Returning Officers are authorised to announce official results, warning that premature reporting could mislead the public.
It further stated that media organisations must not air or publish unofficial results until at least one hour after the close of polling, and any results released thereafter must be clearly marked as unofficial and incomplete.
The ECP cautioned that violations of these instructions would be referred to the relevant authorities for disciplinary action. It reiterated that the final and official result of any constituency will only be issued by the concerned ROs.
With additional reporting by Waqas Ahmad and Bilal Ghauri