Islamabad:
The country’s surveillance supervision authority postponed the partial elections during nine districts of the National Assembly and the Punjab, taking into account the floods. Most of these seats had fallen vacant after the condemnation of the PTI legislators in cases of riot of May 9 and their subsequent overtaking.
According to an official notification published Thursday, the ECP postponed the partial elections of the NA-66 Wazirabad, NA-96 Faisalabad, NA-104 Faisalabad, NA-129 Lahore, NA-143 Sahiwal, PP-73 Sargodha, PP-87 Mianwali, PP-98 Faisalabad and PP-87 Sahi.
He said the surveys would announce new dates for the elections “once the situation has improved”. The by -elections were previously scheduled for September 18 and October 5.
The press release indicates that a meeting of the PCE took place on Thursday to examine a request from the provincial government and the district return agents concerned to suspend surveys. The poll organization then accepted the request “in the public interest”.
The ECP cited the general destruction of roads, bridges, railway lines, electric posts and cellular towers, as well as damage to government buildings and designated schools as polling stations and storage sites for electoral materials, as well as reasons for the address.
“The current rescue and rescue operations in the areas affected by the floods extended the civil administration and the law enforcement organizations to their limits. Survey staff, many of whom are government employees currently engaged in rescue efforts, are not available to exercise electoral tasks,” he said.
According to the press release, several district return officers informed the commission of the non-deputy survey personnel named. They asked for the appointment of fresh staff in neighboring districts.
However, the magnitude of the disaster has made it difficult to organize the elections as expected, he said.
He said the Punjab government had also officially requested the postponement, citing the “situation of devastated floods” and the commitment of the civil administration in rescue and rescue operations as the main reasons for the request.
The ECP underlined its constitutional obligation to hold elections under secure and equitable conditions, noting that the conduct of elections in the midst of such disruptions “would deprive voters” and would undermine the safety and integrity of the polls.
“The decision to postpone the elections is in the public interest,” said ECP. “The survey will resume once the situation stabilizes to ensure that the elections are carried out with optimal security and complete participation of voters.”
At least 46 people died and more than 3.7 million people with heavy monsoon rain and the water versions of India aggravate the floods in Punjab. Nearly 1.8 million people have been evacuated in recent weeks after flood waters have overcome nearly 3,900 villages.
