The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said Monday by-elections will be held in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies in case of mass resignations, Aaj News reported.

“Although it is difficult to hold provincial elections and national elections in the same year, we are bound by the law,” the ECP official said.

The official clarified that elections will only be carried out on the seats of Punjab and KP rather than National Assembly (NA) seats.

ECP's statement comes after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan said that it was better to quit assemblies than "be a part of a corrupt system".

Won't hesitate for a minute if asked to dissolve Punjab Assembly: Elahi

"We will not be part of this system. We have decided to quit all the assemblies and get out of this corrupt system," said Imran.

"My party has not come to Rawalpindi for elections or politics. It is the need of the country to have fresh elections."

In its statement today, ECP revealed that for each provincial poll, an estimated cost of Rs50 to Rs70 million will be incurred.

As per the official, the total projected cost of elections in Punjab and K-P will amount to Rs22.5 billion in case of mass resignations from PTI and its allies.

Better to quit assemblies than be part of this corrupt system, says Imran in Rawalpindi address

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi said that he owed the provincial government to Imran Khan, adding that he would oblige his instructions to dissolve the assembly.

“Imran Khan posed his trust in us. So, whenever Imran tells me to dissolve the assemblies, I won’t even wait half a minute,” Elahi said, adding that “PM Shehbaz Sharif’s 27km-long [federal] government won’t even last for 27 hours” following the move.

Elahi’s remarks echoed the thoughts of his son Moonis Elahi, who earlier said that his father was able to become the chief minister with the help of the PTI chairman and the PML-Q intended to keep its promises made to him.

“Our time in power is a bonus. We are sticking to our promise. Whenever Imran Khan asks [for dissolution], the Punjab Assembly will be dissolved,” he said in a tweet soon after the PTI chief’s statement.