LAHORE: As many as 32 candidates have already obtained the nomination papers for NA-120, Lahore-III, by-elections, to be contested on September 17. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was victorious on this seat with 91,683 votes, while Dr Yasmeen Rashid remained a runner up with 52,354 votes in General Elections 2013.
According to a spokesperson of Lahore Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) office, the candidates will start filing their nomination from Thursday, August 10. As per schedule, the nominations will be received till August 12. The scrutiny of the papers will be held between August 15 and 17, while the final list of candidates will be issued on August 26.
ECP has announced the details of polling stations, booths, staff and other measures for organising the polling process transparently.
As many as 321,633 registered voters will use their vote in the by-election of NA-120, Lahore. This seat fell vacant after the disqualification of the former prime minister by Supreme Court of Pakistan.
A total of 179,505 male and 142,128 female voters will use their right at 568 polling booths – 310 for males and 258 for females – of the 220 polling stations.
The ECP will arrange 103 male, 98 female and 19 combined polling stations to facilitate voters.
As many as 220 Presiding Officers, 568 Assistant Presiding Officers and 568 Polling Officers will look after the polling process at the polling stations.
District Returning Officer Tahir Hassan (REC Faisalabad), Returning Officer Muhammad Shahid (DEC Bahawalnagar), three Assistant Returning Officers, (City) Assistant Commissioner Abdullah Khurram , District Education Officer (Secondary) Ihsan-ul-Haq, Assistant Director (Elections) Khalid Mehmood, and Commissioner, DC and CCPO will supervise the polling process.
In 2013, only 153,328 out of 295,826 registered voters used their right to vote with 51.85 per cent turnout, with 2,031 rejected.