ECP postpones Punjab by-elections due to floods

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has postponed by-elections in Punjab citing the flood situation across the province.

According to the ECP notification, the by-polls have been postponed in five National Assembly constituencies and four provincial constituencies.

The postponed National Assembly constituencies are NA-66 Wazirabad, NA-96 Faisalabad, NA-129 Lahore, and NA-143 Sahiwal.

The Punjab Assembly constituencies are PP-73 Sargodha, PP-87 Mianwali, PP-98 Faisalabad, and PP-203 Sahiwal.

The ECP said the decision was taken on the request of the Punjab government, district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs).

The commission noted that polling stations and staff were unavailable due to flooding, communication networks had collapsed, roads were washed away in several areas, and provincial authorities were fully engaged in relief operations.

It added that many flood-affected areas had been evacuated, making elections unfeasible.

In such circumstances, the ECP said, voter turnout would also likely be severely reduced.

The by-elections in these constituencies were originally scheduled for September 18 and October 5.

Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified 12 PTI lawmakers from Punjab following their conviction in the May 9, 2023, cases.

The disqualified members belonged to eight National Assembly and four Punjab Assembly constituencies. The by-elections were to be held on the vacant seats of the PTI’s disqualified members.

Earlier, the ruling coalition partners, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), had announced that they will contest the upcoming by-elections together.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Islamabad, PML-N leader and federal minister Hanif Abbasi and PPP leader and former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that both parties would not field candidates against each other in the by-polls.

PTI lawmaker Abdul Latif Chitrali disqualified over May 9 conviction

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said the meeting was held on the instructions of the leadership of both parties to discuss the by-elections, and it was decided that they would jointly participate in the polls.

He said that whichever party was the runner-up in a constituency during the general election would be supported by the other party in the by-polls.