The Pakistan Electoral Commission (ECP) has postponed the partial elections in several districts of the National and Provincial Assembly in Punjab due to unprecedented floods which seriously damaged the infrastructures and disrupted administrative functions through the province.
In an official notification, the ECP cited the general destruction of roads, bridges, railway lines, electric posts and cell towers, as well as damage to government buildings and schools that have been designated as polling stations and storage sites for electoral materials.
“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,” said the Commission. “Survey staff, many of whom are government employees currently involved in help efforts, are not available to perform electoral tasks.”
Several district return officers informed the commission of the non-duplication of the named survey staff and have requested the appointment of new staff in neighboring districts. However, the magnitude of the disaster made it difficult to organize the elections as expected.
The Punjab government has also officially requested the postponement, citing the “situation of devastated floods” and the commitment of the civil administration in rescue and rescue operations as main reasons for the request.
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The ECP underlined its constitutional obligation to hold elections under secure and equitable conditions. The commission held a meeting on September 4, 2025, to assess the situation, noting that the conduct of elections in the midst of such disturbances “would deprive the voters” and undermine the security and the integrity of the polls.
Consequently, the Commission has decided to postpone the partial elections in the districts of the National Assembly NA-66 Wazirabad, NA-96 Faithbad, NA-129 Lahore and Na-143 Sahiwal, as well as in the provincial districts PP-73 Sargodha, PP-87 Mianwali, PP-98 Faisalabad, and PP-403, PP-98 Faisalabad, and PP-403.
“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.
The authorities said that to prevent the historic city of Multan from being flooded, they plan to violate the Chenab river. This will allow the water to be released on the outskirts of the city so that the river levels can drop.
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The levels of flooding in the Chenab have reached 530,000 brackets in Qadirabad Headworks and nearly 500,000 Cusecases in Chiniot, with Trimmu recording 253,000 brackets.
The delight amounted to 98,000 siphon cuses, while the Sutlej reached 319,295 Cuses in GS Wala and 169,032 Cusecases in Panjnad.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz examined the situation at the head of Muhammad Wala, identified as the next major challenge. The pressure also increases at the Shershah bridge in Multan, where traffic has been suspended.
