Election staff in Lahore collect election materials as preparations for the upcoming vote shift into high gear. Photo: ONLINE
LAHORE:
The PML-N is going into Sunday’s by-elections with confidence, expecting no surprises as it is largely a one-horse race across Punjab.
Polling in 13 constituencies, six National Assembly seats and seven Punjab Assembly seats will begin from 8 am to 5 pm continuously. The district administration, in coordination with the election monitoring body, has made comprehensive logistics and transportation arrangements to ensure a smooth and orderly voting process.
The constituencies where the by-elections are being held include NA-18 Haripur, NA-96 Faisalabad-II, NA-104 Faisalabad-X, NA-143 Sahiwal-III, NA-185 DG Khan-II, NA-129 Lahore-XIII, PP-73 Sargodha-III, PP-98 Faisalabad-I, PP-115 Faisalabad-XVIII, PP-116 Faisalabad-XIX, PP-203 Sahiwal-VI, PP-269 Muzaffargarh-II and PP-87 Mianwali-III.
With most elections characterized by low turnout or predictable margins, the political temperature in the province remains relatively stable, except in a handful of ridings where competition is expected to tighten.
Among the seats up for grabs, the most watched remains NA-129 Lahore, the only constituency where the PTI is officially in the running.
The PTI had boycotted the rest on principle, citing its rejection of the disqualification of its lawmakers in the May 9-related cases, which prompted the vacation.
However, NA-129 became vacant after the death of sitting MP Mian Azhar, placing it outside this boycott category.
PTI’s Hammad Azhar has alleged that Form 45 was “missing” in the election materials given to presiding officers by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ahead of today’s by-election in Lahore’s NA-129 constituency.
“We are receiving reports that several presiding officers are missing Form 45 in the election materials they received from the ECP (Election Commission of Pakistan) for tomorrow’s by-elections. This is a serious violation of the electoral process,” he said in a post on X.
The alarm came after he gave “important instructions” to his party’s election officials regarding the forms.
“When the bags containing the election materials are opened in the morning, ensure that the Forms 45 and 46 contained in them are blank and presented to you. This is the most important. »
The PTI leader stressed the importance of the presence of election officials during the voting and counting process. “The ballot boxes must not be out of sight at any time.”
Hammad further told the officers that it was their “right to obtain Form 45”. [filled] according to the charge”, and that any staff member who obstructed this operation would be subject to strict legal sanctions.
He ordered all PTI workers in party camps outside polling stations to remain there after the polling was over and “peacefully follow the presiding officer to the returning officer’s (RO) office”.
From the PML-N, Hafiz Mian Nouman is in the field, while the PTI has proposed Chaudhary Arslan. Initially, Hammad Azhar was set to run, but due to his legal battles, he withdrew and brought Arslan into the race.
According to a PTI official, Arslan “can at best give rise to tough competition. His victory would be a surprise.”
He added that if Arslan managed to even push the race to the end, “that would be like winning the seat,” pointing out that if Hammad had run, “it would have been a completely different story.”
The race also features Bajash Khan Niazi, owner of a subsidiary of Niazi Buses, who has tried to attract PTI voters by presenting himself as a PTI-backed candidate and using PTI colors and the Imran Khan brand.
Another group that is attracting attention is that of NA-185 DG Khan, where Dost Muhammad Khosa of the PPP and Mahmood Qadir Khan Leghari of the PML-N are engaged in a competitive fight.
Despite contesting on a PPP ticket, Khosa managed to tap into the PTI’s vote bank. Local analysts believe that if he manages to obtain significant support from the PTI, “he could even spring a surprise”.
Conversely, Leghari, enjoying the advantage of the incumbent government and what analysts describe as “the unwavering establishment support behind this setup”, is widely seen as a serious contender for the top spot.
A similarly close contest is expected in PP-87 Mianwali, where independent candidate Nawabzada Ayaz Ali Khan, running as PTI-backed, takes on PML-N’s Ali Haider Noor Khan.
Despite the PTI’s deep roots in the region, Nawabzada has a disadvantage: he contested the last election from another constituency as an IPP candidate. Locals consider him an “imposter,” but the PTI’s strong support base and the PML-N’s weak local network keep the seat highly competitive.
PP-203 Sahiwal-IV is another constituency worth watching, with PML-N’s Muhammad Hanif Jutt competing against independent candidate Falak Sher Dogar, widely seen as a de facto PTI candidate.
Falak is seen as a local heavyweight with the potential to upset Jutt, although analysts note that Jutt’s well-established family base, combined with the advantage of the PML-N establishment, makes him the likely winner.
It is pertinent to mention that the PML-N withdrew its candidate from Muzaffargarh in favor of the PPP.
However, Iqbal Khan Pitafi, to whom the party had initially awarded the ticket, remains in the race against the PPP candidate, making this seat another one to watch.
Elsewhere, Raja Daniyal Riaz, son of Raja Riaz, is said to be in a comfortable position since NA-104. Muhammad Tufail Jutt of NA-143 Sahiwal-III is also expected to hold a strong lead before polling day.
In the Punjab Assembly contests, Azad Ali Tabassum of PP-98 Faisalabad-I, Mian Sultan Ali Ranjha of PP-73 Sargodha, Muhammad Tahir Pervaiz of PP-115 and Rana Ahmed Shehryar of PP-116 Faisalabad are all expected to score victories today.
Troops deployed
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry has already approved the deployment of Pakistan Army and civilian armed forces to provide security in 13 national and provincial constituencies, where by-elections are being held.
A notification issued by the Interior Ministry said the approval followed requests from the ECP.
Civilian armed forces will be deployed as ‘second tier responders (quick reaction force)’, while Pakistan Army troops will serve as ‘third tier responders (quick reaction force)’ from Friday to November 24 (Monday).
Exact figures will be determined by the originating departments and the ECP based on field assessments.
Meanwhile, the ECP on Saturday banned media outlets from carrying unofficial results of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab by-elections until an hour after polling stations closed.
The commission ordered that only returning officers be allowed to announce official results, warning that premature declaration could mislead the public.
It further said that the media should not broadcast or publish unofficial results until at least one hour after the close of voting, and that any results published thereafter should be clearly marked as unofficial and incomplete.
The ECP warned that violations of these instructions would be referred to the relevant authorities for disciplinary action. He reiterated that the final and official result of any constituency will be released only by the concerned ROs.
