Election staff in Lahore collect election materials as preparations for the next vote progress at full speed. Photo: ONLINE
LAHORE:
The PML-N is confidently heading into Sunday’s by-elections and expects no surprises as it remains largely a one-horse race across Punjab.
Elections in 13 constituencies, six National Assembly seats and seven Punjab Assembly seats, will begin from 8 am to 5 pm without interruption. The district administration, in coordination with the election watchdog, has taken comprehensive logistics and transportation measures to ensure a smooth and orderly voting process.
The constituencies where by-elections will be 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 races marked by low turnout or predictable margins, the province’s political temperature remains relatively stable, except in a handful of electoral districts 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 formally contesting.
The PTI had boycotted the rest on principle, citing its rejection of the disqualification of its legislators in cases related to May 9, which caused the vacancies.
However, NA-129 fell vacant following the death of sitting MNA Mian Azhar, placing it outside that boycott category.
PTI’s Hammad Azhar claimed that Form 45s were “missing” in the election materials given to presidents by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ahead of today’s by-elections in Lahore’s NA-129 constituency.
“We are receiving reports that several presidents are missing Form 45s 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 had earlier given “important instructions” to his party’s election agents about the forms.
“When the bags containing election materials are opened in the morning, make sure that the Forms 45 and 46 they contain are blank and shown to you. This is the most important thing.”
The PTI leader highlighted the importance of the presence of electoral agents during the voting and counting processes. “The ballot boxes should not be lost sight of at any time.”
Hammad further told the officers that they were “entitled to obtain Form-45 [filled] according to the count”, and that any staff member who obstructed it would be punished with strict legal sanctions.
He ordered all PTI workers in the party camps outside the polling stations to remain there after the polling was over and “peacefully follow the president to the returning officer’s (RO) office”.
From the PML-N, Hafiz Mian Nouman is in the field, while the PTI has nominated Chaudhary Arslan. Hammad Azhar was initially expected to run, but due to his legal battles, he stepped aside and brought Arslan into the race.
According to a PTI official, Arslan “can at best offer tough competition. His victory would be a surprise.”
He added that if Arslan even manages to close the race, “it would be like winning the seat,” and emphasized that if Hammad had competed, “it would have been a completely different story.”
Also participating in the race is Bajash Khan Niazi, owner of a subsidiary of Niazi Buses, who has been trying to attract PTI voters by running as a PTI-backed candidate and using PTI colors and the Imran Khan brand.
Another attention-grabbing constituency is NA-185 DG Khan, where PPP’s Dost Muhammad Khosa and PML-N’s Mahmood Qadir Khan Leghari are locked in a competitive fight.
Despite running on a PPP ticket, Khosa has managed to tap into the PTI vote bank. Local analysts believe that if he manages to get significant support from the PTI, “he could even spring a surprise.”
By contrast, Leghari, who benefits from the advantage of the incumbent government and what analysts describe as “the unwavering support of the establishment behind this setup”, is widely seen as a strong contender for the top spot.
An equally tight contest is expected in PP-87 Mianwali, where independent candidate Nawabzada Ayaz Ali Khan, contesting as PTI-backed, takes on PML-N’s Ali Haider Noor Khan.
Despite the PTI’s deep roots in the region, Nawabzada has one disadvantage: he contested the last election from a different constituency as an IPP candidate. Locals see him as an “imposter”, but the PTI’s large 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 contesting against independent candidate Falak Sher Dogar, widely considered a de facto PTI candidate.
Falak is seen as a local heavyweight with the potential to upset Jutt, although analysts say Jutt’s deep family base, combined with the PML-N’s advantage over the establishment, make him the likely victor.
It is pertinent to mention that the PML-N has withdrawn its candidate from Muzaffargarh in favor of the PPP.
However, Iqbal Khan Pitafi, who was initially awarded the ticket by the party, remains in the race against the PPP contender, making the seat another one to watch.
On the other hand, Raja Daniyal Riaz, son of Raja Riaz, is reported to be in a comfortable position from NA-104. NA-143 Sahiwal-III’s Muhammad Tufail Jutt is also believed to have a strong lead heading into 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 expected to score victories today.
Troops deployed
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs has already approved the deployment of Pakistan Army and civil armed forces for security in 13 national and provincial assembly constituencies, where by-elections are being held.
A notification issued by the Home Ministry said the approval came following requests from the ECP.
Civilian armed forces will be deployed as “second-level responders (standby/rapid reaction)”, while Pakistan Army troops will serve as “third-level responders (rapid reaction force)” from Friday to November 24 (Monday).
The exact figures will be determined by the country’s departments and the ECP based on field assessments.
Meanwhile, the ECP on Saturday banned the media from broadcasting the unofficial results of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab by-elections until one hour after the polls closed.
The commission ordered that only tellers be authorized to announce official results, warning that premature reports could mislead the public.
It further stated that media organizations must not broadcast or publish unofficial results until at least one hour after voting closes, and any results published later must 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 only be issued by the interested ROs.
