PESHAWAR: The coalition government partners on Saturday announced that they would not participate in the by-elections for three seats of the National Assembly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) spokesperson Abdul Jalil Jan said that it is our policy and decision that we will not participate in any by-elections.

“The coalition parties are now preparing for general elections and will participate in upcoming elections,” he added.

No candidate from the parties included in the PDM will submit nomination papers for NA-22 Mardan, NA-24 Charsadda and NA-31 Peshawar constituencies.

PTI candidates Ali Muhammad Khan, Fazal Muhammad Khan and Haji Shaukat Ali won the three seats in 2018 general elections.

After the resignation of the PTI lawmakers from the NA, PTI Chief Imran Khan won the by-elections held on October 16 last year on the above mentioned three seats.

However, these seats were declared vacant by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as the ousted prime minister had failed to take an oath.

Last month, the electoral watchdog announced that by-elections on 31 vacant seats of the NA would be held on March 19, as the polls supervisory body held consultations regarding the dates for holding elections of the provincial assemblies of Punjab and KP.

The ECP released the schedule for the by-elections on 31 NA seats. According to it, nomination papers would be submitted from Feb 10 to 14, which would be scrutinised on Feb 18.

The candidates would be able to withdraw the nomination papers till March 1. After that, the election symbols would be allotted to the candidates on March 2. The ECP said that the balloting in the vacant constituencies would be held on March 19.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023