21 constituencies
By-elections are currently taking place in 21 constituencies throughout Pakistan, with voting being closely monitored under stringent security measures and internet services temporarily suspended.
These by-elections are occurring in 5 National Assembly seats and 16 provincial Assembly seats across the regions of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, which are set to proceed from 8 am to 5 pm.
The vacancies for these seats arose due to various reasons, including candidates who secured multiple seats in the February 8 general elections and either vacated seats or postponed elections due to specific incidents such as the death of a candidate.
Notably, the polling for NA-8 Bajaur and PK-22 Bajaur was delayed due to the assassination of candidate Rehan Zeb Khan on the originally scheduled election day.
High-profile changes include Ali Amin Gandapur relinquishing his National Assembly seat NA-44 in Dera Ismail Khan to serve as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister by retaining his provincial seat.
Similarly, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif opted to vacate the NA-119 Lahore seat, retaining her provincial seat PP-159. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left his NA-132 Kasur and two Lahore-based provincial seats (PP-158 and PP-164) vacant, choosing instead to keep his NA-123 Lahore seat.
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), retained the NA-194 Larkana seat, leaving the NA-196 seat in Qamber Shahdadkot vacant.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has facilitated the elections by distributing 6.23 million ballot papers and ensuring the set-up of robust security arrangements at polling stations, particularly those identified as sensitive.
In total, 174 candidates are contesting across these constituencies. Notably, in Punjab alone, 12 provincial constituencies have drawn a pool of candidates contesting for the votes of approximately 4.04 million registered voters.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two provincial constituencies boast a combined total of 1.47 million voters, with 49 candidates in the fray and 892 polling stations prepared, 139 of which are flagged as sensitive. In Sindh, particularly in NA-196, the electorate comprises 423,781 voters, with two candidates vying for the seat across 303 polling stations.
The province of Balochistan is also seeing action with by-elections in two provincial constituencies, PB-20 and PB-22, where a total of 396,246 voters are expected to participate. In Lahore, the fight for NA-119 has attracted nine candidates, including prominent figures like Ali Pervaiz and Shehzad Farooq.
The PP-147 constituency sees 11 candidates competing, including PML-N nominee Malik Riaz and independent Muhammad Khan Madani. Additionally, constituencies like PP-149, PP-158, and PP-164 are witnessing a significant turnout with a plethora of candidates, including political heavyweights and new contenders alike, making the race highly competitive.
The elections are marked by the active participation of approximately 2.55 million voters for the National Assembly seats and around 3.61 million for the provincial seats, reflecting a vibrant democratic process in action across Pakistan.
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