Punjab, KP Constituencies Vote as By-Elections Conclude

News Desk
Islamabad: Polling for by-elections in six National Assembly and seven Punjab Assembly constituencies concluded on Sunday, with vote counting now underway across the country.

Voters cast their ballots in Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Mianwali, Muzaffargarh, Haripur and other districts amid tight security and largely peaceful proceedings.
By-elections were held for six National Assembly seats — NA-18 (Haripur), NA-96 and NA-104 (Faisalabad), NA-129 (Lahore), NA-143 (Sahiwal) and NA-185 (Dera Ghazi Khan) — along with seven Punjab Assembly constituencies: PP-73 (Sargodha), PP-87 (Mianwali), PP-98, PP-115 and PP-116 (Faisalabad), PP-203 (Sahiwal) and PP-269 (Muzaffargarh).
Most seats had fallen vacant following the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed lawmakers in cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots.
High-Profile Contests Draw Focus
Two constituencies, NA-18 Haripur and NA-129 Lahore, remained the centre of political attention.
In Haripur, PTI-backed independent candidate Shehrnaz Omar Ayub, spouse of disqualified MNA Omar Ayub, faced PML-N’s Babar Nawaz Khan, alongside PPP’s Erum Fatima and several independents. Over 753,000 voters were registered across 602 polling stations.
In Lahore’s NA-129, where more than 558,000 voters were eligible to cast ballots, PML-N’s Hafiz Mian Nauman contested against Chaudhry Arsalan Ahmad, nephew of late Mian Muhammad Azhar and nominee of PTI leader Hammad Azhar. Seventeen candidates were in the race for the seat.
Faisalabad saw intense political activity:
NA-96: PML-N’s Talal Badar Chaudhry challenged a crowded field of 15 independents.
NA-104: PML-N’s Raja Daniyal faced four independent candidates.
PP-115 and PP-116: Both seats featured contests between PML-N nominees and independent candidates following the disqualification of PTI-backed lawmakers.
Across the district, thousands of voters turned out at hundreds of polling stations.
DG Khan, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Mianwali, Muzaffargarh Contests
In NA-185 DG Khan, a close contest was reported between PML-N’s Mahmood Qadir Leghari and PPP’s Sardar Dost Muhammad Khosa.
Other key contests included:
PP-87 Mianwali: PML-N’s Ali Haider Noor Khan, independents Awaz Khan Niazi and JUP’s Khalid Masood Khan.
PP-98 Faisalabad: PML-N’s Azad Ali Tabbasum vs independent Muhammad Ajmal Cheema.
PP-73 Sargodha: PML-N’s Sultan Ali Ranjha against four independents.
PP-269 Muzaffargarh: PPP’s Alamdar Abbas Qureshi faced independents Iqbal Khan and Abdul Hai Dasti, among 17 total candidates.
Free, Fair and Secure Elections
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said that all election materials, including ballot papers, were delivered to polling stations in time, and that foolproof measures were in place to ensure transparent elections. A code of conduct was issued for the armed forces, civil armed forces and media.
Security personnel were deployed outside highly sensitive polling stations, with police acting as first-tier responders, civil armed forces as second tier, and the Pakistan Army in third-tier quick reaction mode.
Media outlets were instructed not to broadcast unofficial results until at least one hour after the close of polling, and only the Returning Officer is authorised to release official results.
20,000 Police Personnel Deployed in Punjab
In a separate statement, Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr. Usman Anwar said that more than 20,000 police officers and personnel had been deployed for election security across the province.
He said the force ensured a peaceful environment for voters across 939 male, 889 female, and 964 combined polling stations. Of the total 2,792 polling stations, 408 were declared highly sensitive and 1,032 sensitive.
All stations were equipped with CCTV cameras and monitored from the Central Police Office, Safe Cities Authority, and district control rooms. He added that violation of Section 144, the arms ban, and ECP guidelines would not be tolerated.
“Any attempt by terrorists or miscreants to disrupt peace will be thwarted,” he said, adding that Punjab Constabulary, Elite Force, Special Branch, Dolphin Squad, CTD, and women personnel at female polling stations were all active in operations. Support from the Pakistan Army and Rangers had further strengthened the security plan, he added.
Polling Environment
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, after casting his vote in Faisalabad, said that the polling process was smooth, with no reports of citizens being stopped or arrested. He estimated turnout at 25–30%.
The ECP and security agencies reported that polling remained largely peaceful, with real-time monitoring continuing until the completion of vote counting.