ISLAMABAD: Any of the candidates contesting the April 21 by-polls on 23 seats of the assemblies can quit the election race not later than Friday (tomorrow), the deadline for withdrawal of the candidature(s).

Keeping in view the by-elections schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on March 13, Thursday (March 28) is the last date for deciding of appeals related to by-elections by the appellate tribunals. The publication of revised list of poll contestants is also scheduled on Thursday (today). March 29 (Friday) is the last day for candidature(s) withdrawal, and final list of by-election candidates is also being published tomorrow.

The candidates would be allotted electoral symbols on Saturday, as per the ECP’s by-polls schedule.

Of the 23 seats on which the by-elections are taking place, 19 seats were vacated by those candidates who had won more than one seats in the last month’s general elections, and four seats saw elections postponement due to the deaths of contesting candidates.

The by-polls would be held on the six seats of National Assembly, 12 seats of Punjab Assembly, two seats each of Balochistan Assembly and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, and one Sindh Assembly seat.

Of these seats, the general elections that were scheduled on February 8, on National Assembly’s seat NA-8 and KPA seat PK-22, were delayed due to the killing of a candidate who was contesting the polls on both these seats. Polls were also postponed on KPA seat PK-91 and PA seat PP-266 due to the deaths of the respective contestants ahead of February 8 general polls.

The remaining 19 seats that have been vacated by candidates who won more than one seats in the general polls, and where by-polls are being held, are: NA-44, NA-119, NA-132, NA-196, NA-207, PP-22, PP-32, PP-36, PP-54, PP-93, PP-139, PP-147, PP-149, PP-158, PP-164, PP-290, PB-20, PP-22 and PS-80.

The ECP is under fire from public and political circles as well as international stakeholders over allegedly massive rigging in the February 8 general polls. The electoral body has rejected these allegations.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024