ECP to announce schedule of presidential polls soon

–By-polls on eleven NA, six provincial seats to be held in early October

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is all set to announce the schedule of the presidential elections while by-elections on eleven National Assembly and six provincial assembly constituencies are going to be held during early October.

An ECP official informed Pakistan Today that the five-year tenure of President Mamnoon Hussain is going to complete on September 9 and the by-elections for the rest of the national and provincial assembly constituencies would be completed before the presidential elections.

“Since we have to complete the electoral college before presidential elections, we have geared up preparations for the by-elections on eleven NA and six provincial assembly constituencies,” said the official, requesting anonymity.

The by-polls would be held on nine National Assembly constituencies withdrawn by the successful candidates who had vacated their supplementary seats. In addition, elections on two seats are also going to be held which had been postponed, including Faisalabad’s NA-103 and NA-60 of Rawalpindi.

According to the ECP, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan had decided to keep his Mianwali seat of NA-95 while he has vacated other four NA seats won, including NA-131 (Lahore), NA-243 (Karachi), NA-35 (Bannu) and NA-53 (Islamabad).

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has decided to keep NA-132 (Lahore) while he has resigned from Punjab’s PP-164 and PP-165 which he had also won. Hamza Shehbaz has also withdrawn from NA-124 (Lahore), reducing himself to PP-146.

Meanwhile, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi has withdrawn from NA-65 (Chakwal) and NA-69 (Gujrat), keeping PP-30 (Gujrat) as he is the joint nominee of the PTI and PML-Q for the slot of Punjab Assembly speaker.

LIKELY CANDIDATES:

PTI leader Ghulam Sarwar Khan who defeated former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan from NA-59 and NA-63 (Rawalpindi) has resigned from NA-63 where the PTI is likely to field his younger brother Mohammad Shafique Khan.

PTI’s elected lawmaker Maj (r) Tahir Sadik has also resigned from NA-56 (Attock), keeping NA-55 (Attock) with him. Malik Amin Aslam is likely to be fielded by the PTI in the by-election from this constituency.

PTI’s Ali Amin Gandapur has also resigned from PK-97 Dera Ismail Khan keeping his National Assembly constituency NA-38 DIK with him. PTI’s nominee for speaker of National Assembly Asad Qaisar has also withdrawn from PK-44 (Swabi) while keeping NA-18 (Swabi).

Awami National Party (ANP) leader Amir Haider Hoti has vacated PK-53 (Mardan) keeping his National Assembly seat NA-21 (Mardan).

Pir Syed Fazal Ali Shah Jilani of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has vacated his provincial seat PS-30, keeping Sindh’s NA-209.