The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has dismissed the Punjab government’s request to postpone by-election in NA-149 Multan while a request to deploy Rangers in the constituency during the election has been approved.
The Punjab government had requested that the by-election be postponed for a few days due to a tense security situation in the city following the Qasim Bagh tragedy four days ago.
Punjab’s Election Commission opposed the request and said that there were no concrete reasons for them to delay the elections and all preparations are underway. However, the final decision in this regard lay with the ECP, it added.
After listening to both parties, the ECP said the by-election would be held on its scheduled date, October 16.
By-elections on NA-149 Multan are being held after the seat was vacated following the resignation of former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) president Javed Hashmi, who had however announced that he would contest the polls as an independent candidate.
On a parallel plane, leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had hinted at supporting Hashmi in the by-election after Hashmi held a press conferences alleging that the PTI’s sit-ins and protests in Islamabad were part of a “conspiracy against democracy”.
Later commenting on the Punjab government’s request, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the government was resorting to ‘tactics’ to delay the election in collaboration with Election Commission.
“The elections should be held timely, there is no justification for it. It’s election commission’s constitutional responsibility to organise polls according to the schedule. Such decision will hurt commission’s credibility,” Qureshi said, asking the people to stage sit-ins at every crossing of Multan against provincial government’s decision.
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