Six NA, seven PA seats up for grabs as polling underway in high-stakes by-elections

Polling is underway in by-elections in six National Assembly and seven Punjab Assembly constituencies, with voters casting ballots in Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Mianwali, Muzaffargarh and Haripur and other areas.

The voting, which commenced at 8am amid tight security, will continue till 5pm.

By-elections are being held in six National Assembly constituencies — NA-18 (Haripur), NA-96 (Faisalabad), NA-104 (Faisalabad), NA-129 (Lahore), NA-143 (Sahiwal) and NA-185 (Dera Ghazi Khan).

Polling is also underway in seven Punjab Assembly constituencies, PP-73 (Sargodha), PP-87 (Mianwali), PP-98 (Faisalabad), PP-115 (Faisalabad), PP-116 (Faisalabad), PP-203 (Sahiwal) and PP-269 (Muzaffargarh).

The seats became vacant largely due to the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers convicted in cases related to the May 9, 2023, riots following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has said that the election material, including ballot papers, has safely reached the polling stations, foolproof security arrangements have been made, and specific instructions have been issued to authorities concerned to ensure the conduct of free and fair elections.

NA-18 and NA-129 are among the few high-profile constituencies where the electoral contest will be of paramount interest. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed disqualified MNA Omar Ayub Khan’s spouse Ms Shehnaz will face Babar Nawaz of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) in NA-18, while the late Mian Azhar’s nephew Arsalan Ahma,d is being seen as a potential rival to PMLN’s Hafiz Mian Nauman in Lahore’s NA-129, The News reported.

Security, code of conduct

As per the code of conduct released for the armed forces/civil armed forces, the personnel will perform their duties in accordance with the role ofthe  Armed Forces defined in Article 245 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the law and within the confines of the mandate assigned to Armed Forces to assist the ECP.

Their deployment is meant for the provision of a secure environment for easy and secure access of voters to the polling station. Wherein, the police will be first-tier responders, while civil armed forces as second-tier responders (standby/ quick reaction mode only) and Pakistan Army as 3rd tier responders (in-situ Quick Reaction Force Mode).

The code of conduct outlines that security personnel are to be deployed outside selected highly sensitive polling stations and must concentrate exclusively on ensuring a secure environment. 

They must not disallow any eligible voter from entering, except those found possessing weapons, explosives or creating a disturbance. The personnel are not to assume the duties of polling staff, take custody of any election material, or interfere in the functions of polling officials or the counting process.

Meanwhile, the ECP has also issued a code of conduct for the media, emphasising that unofficial results from a polling station should not be broadcast until at least one hour after polling concludes. Such results must be clearly indicated as unofficial and partial.

Broadcasters are warned that violations will lead the commission to approach the authorities concerned for disciplinary action. Only the Returning Officer concerned is authorised to release the final and official result of any constituency.