ISLAMABAD: Polling is underway for by-elections on eight National Assembly and three Punjab Assembly seats up for grabs across the country.
Scores of candidates are contesting for these seats including the PTI Chairman Imran Khan who is contesting on seven out of eight NA seats. He has termed the by-polls a referendum on his popularity. Candidates can stand for multiple seats in elections. If they win more than one, they choose which to keep.
It was quite unexpected for the ruling PDM parties that Imran Khan was alone contesting on all the vacant seats. Voting will go on as scheduled until 5 p.m.
Given the rising popularity of the PTI Chairman, the government wanted to delay the by-polls for at least the next 90 days as it said that security personnel were busy in flood relief works.
But the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected the suggestion of delaying the by-polls and asked the relevant authorities to beef up the security.
The constituencies where polling is taking place are: NA-22 Mardan-III, NA-24 Charsadda-II, NA-31 Peshawar-V, NA-108 Faisalabad-VIII, NA-118 Nankana Sahib -II, NA 157 Multan-IV, NA-237 Malir-II, NA-239 Korangi, Karachi-I. The by-poll on NA 45, a tribal area seat, has been postponed over law and order situation.
The national assembly seats were vacated after NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had accepted the resignations of PTI MNAs — nine on general seats and two on reserved seats for women.
Moreover, by-elections are also being held on three Punjab Assembly seats — PP-241 Bahawalnagar-V; PP-209 Khanewal-VII, and PP-139 Sheikhupura-V.
The ECP finalised all arrangements for holding by-elections in 11 constituencies Saturday night. A total of 101 candidates from different political parties and independents are taking part in the vote.
Separate special control rooms have been established at central and provincial levels to promptly resolve election-related complaints and hurdles in the conduct of impartial elections.
