Six NA and seven PA seats are up for grabs as high-stakes by-elections get underway
The voting, which began at 8am under tight security, will continue until 5pm.
The National Assembly seats up for grabs include NA-18 (Haripur), NA-96 (Faisalabad), NA-104 (Faisalabad), NA-129 (Lahore), NA-143 (Sahiwal), and NA-185 (Dera Ghazi Khan), while the Punjab Assembly constituencies are PP-73 (Sargodha), PP-87 (Mianwali), PP-98, PP-115, and PP-116 (Faisalabad), PP-203 (Sahiwal), and PP-269 (Muzaffargarh).
These seats fell vacant mainly due to the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers convicted in cases related to the May 9, 2023, riots following former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) confirmed that all election materials, including ballot papers, have been delivered to polling stations, and comprehensive security arrangements have been made to ensure free and fair elections.
High-profile contests are expected in NA-18 and NA-129. In NA-18, PTI-backed disqualified MNA Omar Ayub Khan’s spouse, Shehnaz, is challenging Babar Nawaz of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), while in Lahore’s NA-129, the late Mian Azhar’s nephew, Arsalan Ahmad, is emerging as a key rival to PML-N’s Hafiz Mian Nauman, according to reports.
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.
from Latest Pakistan News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/Xd3jyKV
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