Polling commenced on Sunday across 21 constituencies in Pakistan, marking the onset of by-elections for numerous National Assembly and provincial assembly seats.
This significant electoral event follows the general elections held on February 8. Voting began promptly at 8 am and will continue uninterrupted until 5 pm today.
Notably, mobile phone services were temporarily halted in specific districts of Punjab and Balochistan as a precautionary measure to ensure the integrity and security of the electoral process, a decision made by the federal government.
Additionally, in response to a request from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the deployment of troops from the Pakistan Army and Civil Armed Forces (CAF) was approved to oversee the polling stations.
The by-elections cover five National Assembly seats, twelve Punjab Assembly seats, two each in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan Assemblies, and one in the Sindh Assembly. Among these, the NA seats include NA-8 and NA-44 in KP, NA-119 and NA-132 in Punjab, and NA-196 in Sindh. Notably, the PPP secured one seat, NA-207 in Nawabshah, where Aseefa Bhutto Zardari was elected unopposed.
In Punjab, the by-polls encompass various constituencies including PP-32 in Gujrat, PP-36 in Wazirabad, PP-54 in Narowal, PP-93 in Bhakkar, PP-139 in Sheikhupura, PP-147, PP-149, PP-158, PP-164 in Lahore, PP-266 in Rahim Yar Khan, and PP-290 in Dera Ghazi Khan.
Key contests include NA-119 in Lahore, vacated by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, where candidates from PML-N, PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), and independents are vying for the seat. Similarly, PP-147 and PP-149 in Lahore, vacated by prominent figures, are witnessing intense competition among various candidates representing different parties and independents.
Moreover, in Sindh, voting is underway for NA-196 in Qamber Shadadkot, vacated by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, while in KP, polling is taking place for NA-44 in Dera Ismail Khan. Additionally, the by-poll for NA-8 in Bajaur, which was suspended prior to the general elections due to the tragic murder of candidate Rehan Zeb Khan, is also being conducted concurrently.
