Army, Rangers to assist in security during Punjab by-polls

Personnel will be deployed from November 7 to 9

LAHORE:

Pakistan Army and Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) personnel will be deployed to assist in maintaining security during the by-elections in two Punjab constituencies scheduled for November 8, following the deaths of their respective sitting PML-N lawmakers.

The by-elections will be held in National Assembly constituency NA-77 (Gujranwala-I) and Punjab Assembly constituency PP-203 (Sahiwal-VI), both of which fell vacant after the deaths of their respective PML-N lawmakers.

NA-77 fell vacant following the death of five-time MNA Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk on September 11 after a prolonged illness. His son, Rashid Basheer Virk, is among the candidates contesting the by-election.

Similarly, PP-203 fell vacant following the death of PML-N MPA Chaudhry Muhammad Hanif Jutt on September 17, reportedly from cardiac arrest.

Hanif Jutt had won the seat in a by-election held in November 2025 after the constituency's original winner, PTI-backed independent Rai Murtaza Iqbal, was disqualified following his conviction by an Anti-Terrorism Court.

The upcoming by-election will therefore be the second electoral contest for PP-203 since the 2024 general elections. PML-N candidate Muhammad Asad Hanif Jutt is among the contenders for the vacant seat.

According to an order issued by the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control on November 4, the deployment will remain in place from November 7 to 9.

Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) and Pakistan Army personnel will perform duties as second- and third-tier responders, respectively, under standby and Quick Reaction Force (QRF) arrangements.

The order, issued under Article 220 of the Constitution and Sections 4 and 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, followed requests made by the Election Commission of Pakistan through letters dated September 30 and October 2.