ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday announced by-elections, on September 11, on two out of three vacant seats of Punjab Assembly and one National Assembly seat whereas the schedule for one vacant seat of PA is expected in the coming days once the related notification is issued by the electoral body.
By-elections would be held in PP-139 Sheikhupura and PP-241 Bahawalnagar, as well as, NA-157 Multan.
PP-139 fell vacant due to the resignation of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Member Provincial Assembly Jalil Sharqpuri, who announced having parted ways with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ahead of July 17 by-elections on 20 PA seats.
PP-241 Bahawalnagar fell vacant due to the disqualification of PML-N MPA Kashif Mehmood at the hands of Islamabad High Court (IHC) and then Supreme Court in fake-degree case. Mehmood was disqualified in fake-degree case by IHC on January 31, 2020 and by the apex court on November 23, 2021. However, the electoral body did not de-notify Mehmood’s legislative membership for over eight months, saying, it did not receive the court orders. Mehmood was finally de-notified on Tuesday.
Zain Qureshi from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was elected as the Member National Assembly (MNA) from NA-157. He decided to vacate his seat, PP-217 Multan, following his victory in all-important July 17 by-elections in which PTI grabbed 15 of the 20 seats, compared to PML-N’s four seats and one seat went to an independent candidate.
Another PML-N MPA Faisal Khan Niazi from PP-209 Khanewal had also resigned from his seat ahead of July 17 by-polls and announced to join PTI. He was summoned by ECP on July 19 to verify his resignation but Niazi could not appear before the electoral body reportedly because he was suffering from coronavirus. Niazi told the media then that he would appear before the ECP to confirm his resignation once he recovered from the ailment.
PA Secretariat has already listed the PA-209 as a vacant seat following the verification of Niazi’s resignation by the then Speaker PA and now Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi.
Once the electoral body verifies Niazi’s resignation and issues the related notification of PP-209 vacancy, by-elections would be announced on this seat, as well. With the exclusion of three MPAs, the strength of PML-N and its allies in PA has been reduced to 178 seats compared to 186 seats of the ruling coalition comprising of PTI and Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q.) In 371-seat PA, PTI has 176 seats excluding two dissidents; Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari and Masood Majeed. The PML-Q has 10 seats. In opposition coalition: PML-N has 167 seats, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has seven seats, there are three independents and one seat belongs to Raah-e-Haq Party.
Three seats are vacant whereas two of the total five independents have not sided with any party.
The country’s largest provincial legislature is going to elect its new speaker today (Friday) following Elahi’s elevation as CM Punjab. Voting on no-confidence motion moved by PTI against the deputy speaker PA is also scheduled today.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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