ECP orders re-election in entire Daska constituency on March 18

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) declared on Thursday the by-poll held in the Daska constituency on February 19 as null and void.

A five-member commission, headed by the chief election commissioner announced its verdict while hearing PML-N candidate Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar's application. The ECP has ordered re-polling in the entire constituency of NA-75 Daska in district Sialkot on March 18.

The order was issued using the powers conferred on the ECP under Article 218 (3) of the Constitution and Article 19 (1) of the Election Act, 2017, DAWN reported.

Last week, at least two people died and two others were injured as clashes broke out between workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the PML-N in Sialkot's NA-75 constituency. The ECP had restrained authorities from announcing unofficial results as both PTI and PML-N claimed victory in the constituency.

In a presser on Wednesday, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz said that PTI resorted to systematic rigging in the polls and harassed the voters. She further said that agencies falling under the prime minister were involved in the rigging.

She continued that polling stations were shut down by design and the voting process was suspended for up to six hours, adding that videos on social media, some of which even she had shared, showed how people had broken the door of a polling station.

She added that after all this, how can she accept re-polling in 20 polling stations, demanding that the PML-N wants re-elections in the entire NA-75 constituency.