Polling staff in Lahore are collecting election materials as preparations for the upcoming poll are in full swing. Photo: ONLINE
LAHORE:
The PML-N is heading into Sunday’s by-elections with confidence, expecting no surprises as it remains largely a one-horse race across Punjab.
Voting for 13 constituencies, six seats in the National Assembly and seven seats in the Punjab Assembly, will start from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. without interruption. The district administration, in coordination with the electoral guard, has made extensive arrangements for logistics and transport to ensure a smooth and orderly voting process.
The constituencies where the by-election is taking place include NA-18 Haripur, NA-96 Faisalabad-II, NA-104 Faisalabad-X, NA-143 Sahiwal-III, NA-185 DG Khan-II, NA-129 Lahore-XIII, PP-73 Faisalabad-I,-19, PP-73, Sargodha-19,-III, Faisalabad-XVIII, PP-116 Faisalabad-XIII, PP-203 Sahiwal-VI, PP-269 Muzaffargarh-II and PP-87 Mianwali-III.
With most contests shaped by low turnout or predictable margins, the province’s political temperature remains relatively steady, except in a handful of constituencies where competition is expected to tighten.
Among the seats up for grabs is the most watched NA-129 Lahore, the only constituency where the PTI is formally contesting.
The PTI had boycotted the rest in principle, citing its rejection of the disqualification of its legislators in May 9-related cases, which caused the vacancies.
However, NA-129 fell vacant after the death of sitting MNA Mian Azhar, placing it outside this boycott category.
PTI’s Hammad Azhar claimed that Form 45s were “missing” in the election materials handed over to the Chairman Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ahead of today’s by-election in Lahore’s NA-129 constituency.
“We are receiving reports that several presiding officers are missing Form 45s in the election materials they have received from the ECP (Election Commission of Pakistan) for tomorrow’s by-elections. This is a serious violation of the election process,” he claimed in a post on X.
The alarm came after he had earlier issued “important instructions” to his party’s polling agents about the forms.
“When the bags of election material are opened in the morning, make sure that Form 45 and Form 46 in them are empty and shown to you. This is most important.”
The PTI leader emphasized the importance of polling agents’ presence during the voting and counting processes. “The ballot boxes must not be out of sight at any time.”
Hammad further told the agents that it was their “right to get the Form-45 [filled] according to the count”, and that any personnel who prevented this would face severe legal punishment.
He directed all PTI workers in the party camps outside the polling stations to remain there after polling was over and “peacefully accompany the presiding officer to the Returning Officer’s (RO) office”.
From PML-N, Hafiz Mian Nouman is in the field while PTI has fielded Chaudhary Arslan. Hammad Azhar was initially expected to run, but due to his legal battles, he stepped aside and brought Arslan into the race.
According to a PTI official, Arslan “can give stiff competition at best. His victory would be a surprise”.
He added that if Arslan manages to push the contest close at all, “it would be akin to winning the seat,” stressing that if Hammad had contested, “it would have been a completely different story”.
The race also features Bajash Khan Niazi, owner of a Niazi Buses subsidiary, who has tried to draw PTI voters by presenting himself as a PTI-backed candidate and using PTI colors and Imran Khan branding.
Another constituency attracting attention is NA-185 DG Khan where PPP’s Dost Muhammad Khosa and PML-N’s Mahmood Qadir Khan Leghari are locked in a competitive battle.
Despite running on a PPP ticket, Khosa has managed to tap into the PTI vote bank. Local analysts believe that if he manages to secure meaningful PTI support, “he may even spring a surprise”.
Conversely, Leghari, who benefits from the incumbent government’s advantage and what analysts describe as “unwavering support from the establishment behind this setup”, is widely seen as a strong contender for the top spot.
A similarly tight contest is expected in PP-87 Mianwali, where independent candidate Nawabzada Ayaz Ali Khan, who presents himself as PTI-backed, faces PML-N’s Ali Haider Noor Khan.
Despite PTI’s deep roots in the region, Nawabzada has a disadvantage: he contested the last elections from another district as an IPP candidate. Locals see him as a “fraudster”, but PTI’s heavy support base and PML-N’s weak local network keep the seat very competitive.
PP-203 Sahiwal-IV is another constituency worth tracking, with PML-N’s Muhammad Hanif Jutt contesting against independent candidate Falak Sher Dogar, widely seen as a de facto PTI candidate.
Falak is considered a strong local heavyweight with the potential to upset Jutt, although analysts note that Jutt’s entrenched family base, combined with PML-N establishment advantage, make him the likely victor.
It is pertinent to mention that PML-N has withdrawn its candidate from Muzaffargarh in favor of PPP.
However, Iqbal Khan Pitafi, who was initially allotted the ticket by the party, remains in the race against the PPP challenger, making the seat another one to watch.
Elsewhere, Raja Daniyal Riaz, son of Raja Riaz, is reported to be in a comfortable position from NA-104. Muhammad Tufail Jutt from NA-143 Sahiwal-III is also believed to have a strong lead on election day.
In Punjab Assembly contests, Azad Ali Tabassum from PP-98 Faisalabad-I, Mian Sultan Ali Ranjha from PP-73 Sargodha, Muhammad Tahir Pervaiz from PP-115 and Rana Ahmed Shehryar from PP-116 Faisalabad are all expected to secure victories today.
Troops deployed
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry has already approved the deployment of the Pakistan Army and civilian armed forces for security in 13 National and Provincial Assembly constituencies where by-elections are being held.
A notification issued by the home ministry said the approval followed requests by the ECP.
The civilian armed forces will be deployed as “second-tier responders (standby/quick reaction)”, while the troops of the Pakistan Army will serve as “third-tier responders (quick reaction force)” from Friday to November 24 (Monday).
The exact figures will be determined by Home Departments and ECP based on ground assessments.
Meanwhile, the ECP on Saturday barred media from broadcasting unofficial results of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab by-elections till an hour after the close of polling stations.
The commission directed that only returning officers are authorized to announce official results and warned that premature reporting could mislead the public.
It further stated that media organizations must not broadcast or publish unofficial results until at least one hour after the end of voting, and any results released thereafter must be clearly marked as unofficial and incomplete.
The ECP warned that violations of these instructions would be referred to the appropriate authorities for disciplinary action. It reiterated that the final and official result of any constituency will be issued only by the concerned ROs.
