ECP issues by-polls schedule: Elections on 4 NA, 2 Punjab PA seats on Oct 5
ISLAMABAD: By-elections on six legislative seats that fell vacant due to the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators—four National Assembly and two Punjab Assembly seats— would be held this 5 October.
In this context, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued by-polls schedule for three Faisalabad seats—NA-96, NA-104, and PP-98 on Thursday.
A day earlier too, the ECP issued by-elections schedule for two NA and one PA seats – NA-143 Sahiwal, NA-185 Dera Ghazi Khan and PP-203 Sahiwal.
The total number of PTI lawmakers who have been disqualified by the ECP in over a month has reached 14.
Leader of the Opposition in NA Omar Ayub Khan and Leader of the Opposition in Senate Shibli Faraz are among the PTI lawmakers disqualified by the ECP in consequence of court verdicts.
Other lawmakers are Member National Assembly Rai Haider Ali (NA-96 Faisalabad), MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza (NA-104 Faisalabad), MNA Rai Hassan Nawaz (NA-143 Sahiwal), MNA Zartaj Gul (NA-185 Dera Ghazi Khan), Member Provincial Assembly Ansar Iqbal (PP-73 Sargodha), MPA Junaid Afzal Sahi (PP-98 Faisalabad) and MPA Rai Murtaza Iqbal (PP-203 Sahiwal) who were disqualified by the respective Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATCs) on 5 August.
This 29 July, the ECP disqualified PTI MNA Abdul Latif over his alleged involvement in 9 May riots.
A day earlier, the ECP disqualified Ejaz Chaudhary, MNA Ahmad Chattha, and Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Ahmad Khan Bhachar, following their convictions by the ATCs in Sargodha and Lahore on 22 July.
On 16 July, the ECP disqualified Jamshaid Dasti from his NA seat over “false statements and incorrect declaration.”
By-elections on NA-66, Wazirabad, NA-129, Lahore and PP-87 are scheduled on 18 September.
The by-poll on one Senate General seat from Punjab is scheduled on 9 September.
By-elections on four seats stand postponed due to stay orders issued by the respective courts. These are: One general Senate seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and four NA seats; NA-1 Chitral, NA-18 Haripur and NA-175 Muzaffargarh.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025