Prisoners, or those in the custody of the state, are also entitled to cast their vote by postal ballot. PHOTO: AFP
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Friday that August 6 will be the last date to file a postal ballot application for by-elections to 16 National Assembly (NA) and 26 provincial assembly seats.
“The facility, under the law, has been extended to persons in government service, members of armed forces, holders of public office, their wives and such of their children as are registered voters,” the ECP statement read. Prisoners, or those in custody of the state, are also entitled to cast their vote by postal ballot in the by-elections due at the end of next month.
The facility is provided only if they are stationed at a place other than the place in which their constituency is situated.
Applications for a postal ballot should be made on the prescribed form available with the returning officer (RO) of the constituency. The application should be forwarded and endorsed by the department of the voter to guard against misuse of the facility.
Presiding officers, assistant presiding officers, polling officers as well as the police personnel who are assigned duties at the polling stations may apply for postal ballot by August 13, since their appointments would be finalised by then, said the ECP.
“Voters to whom postal ballots are issued will not be entitled to vote in person at the polling stations,” noted the commission.
The NA seats on which elections will be held which include NA-1 Peshawar-I, NA-5 Nowshera-I, NA-13 Swabi-II, NA-25 D.I. Khan-cum-Tank, NA-27 Lakki Marwat, NA-48 Islamabad-I, NA-68 Sargodha-V, NA-71 Mianwali-I, NA-83 Faisalabad-IX, NA-103 Hafizabad-II, NA-129 Lahore-XII, NA-177 Muzaffargarh-II, NA-235 Sanghar-II, NA-237 Thatta, NA-254 Karachi-XVI and NA-262 Killa Abdullah.
Provincial assemblies’ seats where by-elections will be contested include PP-6 Rawalpindi-VI, PP-51-Faisalabad-I, PP-118 M.B.Din-III, PP-123 Sialkot-III, PP-142 Lahore-VI, PP-150 Lahore-XIV, PP-161 Lahore-XXV, PP-193 Oakara-IX, PP-210 Lodhran-IV, PP-217 Khanewal-VI, PP-243 D.G.Khan-IV, PP-247 Rajanpur-I, PP-254 Muzaffargarh-IV, PP-289 R.Y.Khan-V, PP-292 R.Y.Khan-VIII, PS-12 Shikarpur-II, PS-64 Mirpurkhas-I, PS-95 Karachi-VII, PS-103 Karachi-XV, PK-23 Mardan-I, PK-27 Mardan-V, PK-42 Hangu-I, PK-70 Bannu-I, PB-29 Nasirabad-II, PB-32 Kachhi-III and PB-44 Lasbela-I.
Most of the seats are vacated by candidates who won more than one seat in the May 11 polls. Other constituencies include those where the law and order situation did not permit voting or one of the candidates died due to terrorist attacks.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2013.
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