ECP bans media from reporting unofficial results of KP and Punjab by-elections until one hour after polling stations close
Voting has begun for by-elections in six National Assembly and seven Punjab Assembly constituencies. Voting will continue without interruption until 5 p.m.
The by-elections began as planned. Citizens began arriving early in the morning to vote.
In region NA-129, which covers the densely populated areas of Lahore, polling stations have also opened. There was notable participation in the camps of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Strict security measures have been put in place for the elections. Special arrangements have been made for the convenience of voters, especially the elderly and women.
The Punjab government has deployed teams from the Clean Punjab initiative to manage sanitation at polling stations.
Supporters were present in the camps of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and other political parties.
Read: PML-N eyes big victory in bypolls today
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, in a post on social media platform X, urged people to come out of their homes and exercise their right to vote. “Two by-elections are being held today in southern Punjab,” Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said.
“Our candidate from PP-269 Muzaffargarh is Mian Almdar Qureshi,” he said. “From NA-185 Dera Ghazi Khan, Dost Muhammad Khosa is the candidate of Pakistan Peoples Party,” he added.
“I appeal to the people of Muzaffargarh and Dera Ghazi Khan to come out, vote and raise their voices,” urged Bilawal.
He asked party members to remember that they should not leave the polling station without obtaining Form 45.
Rigging allegations
Chaudhry Arsalan, a PTI-backed independent candidate contesting from NA-129 in Lahore, visited polling stations today. “Complaints are coming from various polling stations,” Chaudhry Arsalan said.
“Our camps are being raided and polling agents have been arrested. I will personally visit the polling stations soon,” he added.
“Our voters have come out and victory will be ours,” said Chaudhry Arsalan.
Meanwhile, PTI-backed MPA Mun Javed alleged rigging.
“In most polling stations in the constituency, our voters are arrested. Complaints are coming from everywhere and we are visiting the places,” he said.
“When we go to inspect, they escape us. We will keep our votes everywhere,” added Mun Javed.
PP-269 Brawl at Muzaffargarh
Voting at Karamdad polling station, PP-269 Muzaffargarh, was temporarily suspended due to a dispute between two groups.
Law enforcement authorities confirmed that voting has now resumed.
Dera Ghazi Khan
Voter turnout began early in the morning with citizens arriving steadily at polling stations at NA-185 in Dera Ghazi Khan.
PPP’s Dost Muhammad Khosa and PML-N’s Mahmood Qadir Khan Leghari are engaged in a competitive fight.
Despite running on the Pakistan People’s Party (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.
“Only parties that serve the public are true sympathizers of the nation. Citizens vote to ensure continued development and for the good of Pakistan and its people,” local voters said.
Strict security measures were implemented at polling stations in line with Electoral Commission guidelines, with additional staff deployed to sensitive locations. The district administration and police ensured maximum facilities for the polling staff and voters.
According to officials, all polling stations have gates and separate booths for women. Special ramps and staff have been arranged to assist elderly and disabled citizens, facilitating smooth voting.
Local representatives also expressed their satisfaction with the arrangements made.
The Electoral Commission confirmed that voting would continue without interruption until the scheduled closing time, and that results would be prepared in accordance with existing rules and regulations.
By-elections
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.
Learn more: Government deploys army to ensure election security
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 Interior Ministry has approved the deployment of Pakistan Army and civilian armed forces to provide security in the 13 National and Provincial Assembly 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).
Also read: Mianwali prepares for PP-87 by-elections
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.
