ECP bans media from reporting unofficial results of KP and Punjab by-elections until one hour after polls 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 cast their votes.
In NA-129, which covers densely populated areas of Lahore, polling stations have also been opened. There has been notable turnout in the camps of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Strict security measures have been implemented for the elections. Special provisions have been made for the convenience of voters, including the elderly and women.
The Punjab government has deployed “Clean Punjab” initiative teams to manage sanitation at polling stations.
His supporters were present at the camps of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and other political parties.
Read: PML-N predicts big victory in today’s polls
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 use their right to vote. “Two by-elections are being held today in southern Punjab,” said Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.
“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 People’s Party,” he added.
“I appeal to the people of Muzaffargarh and Dera Ghazi Khan to come out, vote and raise their voices,” Bilawal urged.
He instructed the party workers to remember that they should not leave the polling station without obtaining Form-45.
Tampering accusations
Chaudhry Arsalan, a PTI-backed independent candidate contesting from NA-129 in Lahore, visited the polling stations today. “Complaints are coming in from several polling stations,” said Chaudhry Arsalan.
“Our fields are being attacked and electoral agents have been detained. I will personally visit the polling stations shortly,” he added.
“Our voters have come out and victory will be ours,” said Chaudhry Arsalan.
Meanwhile, PTI-backed MPA Mun Javed alleged manipulation.
“In most of the polling stations in the constituency, our people are detained. Complaints come from everywhere and we visit the places,” he said.
“When we go to inspect, they elude us. We will protect our votes everywhere,” added Mun Javed.
PP-269 fights in Muzaffargarh
Voting at Karamdad polling station in PP-269 Muzaffargarh was temporarily suspended due to a dispute between two groups.
Police authorities confirmed that the elections have already resumed.
Dera Ghazi Khan
Voter participation began early in the morning, with citizens steadily arriving at the polling stations, at NA-185 in Dera Ghazi Khan.
PPP’s Dost Muhammad Khosa and PML-N’s Mahmood Qadir Khan Leghari are locked in a competitive fight.
Despite running as a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate, 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 “unwavering support from the establishment behind this setup”, is widely seen as a strong contender for the top spot.
“Only parties that serve the public are true supporters of the nation. Citizens are casting their votes to ensure the continued development and betterment of Pakistan and its people,” local voters said.
Strict security measures have been implemented at polling stations in accordance with the Electoral Commission’s directives, and additional staff have been deployed at sensitive locations. The district administration and police ensured maximum facilities for poll workers and voters.
According to officials, all polling stations have separate doors and booths for women. Special ramps and staff have been arranged to assist senior citizens and differently-abled citizens, facilitating hassle-free voting.
Local representatives also expressed satisfaction with the arrangements.
The Electoral Commission confirmed that voting will continue without interruption until the scheduled closing time and that the results will be prepared in accordance with the relevant rules and regulations.
By-elections
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.
Read more: Government deploys army for security during elections
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 Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the deployment of Pakistan Army and civil armed forces for security in all 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).
Also read: Mianwali prepares for the PP-87 by-elections
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.
