ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday issued the schedule for by-polls in six National Assembly and 17 provincial assembly constituencies across the country.
The schedule for the by-elections comes almost two months after the national elections on Feb 8 that ended in controversy. Here are details of the constituencies where the by-elections are being held on April 21.
The National Assembly (NA) constituencies where by-elections will be held are NA-8 Bajaur, NA-44 Dera Ismail Khan-I, NA-119 Lahore-III, NA-132 Kasur-II, NA-196 Kamber Shadadkot-I and NA-207 Shaheed Benazirabad-I.
Elections in NA-8 Bajaur and PK-22 Bajaur-IV were postponed after an independent candidate contesting election in these constituencies was shot dead.
The NA-44 seat fell vacant after newly-elected KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur opted to retain his provincial seat from Dera Ismail Khan.
The NA-119 Lahore-III seat was vacated after Maryam went for the provincial seat which she had won. The NA-132 Kasur seat fell vacant after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to retain his NA-123 Lahore-VII seat.
PM Shehbaz had also won Punjab Assembly seats — PP-158 and PP-164 — but since he retained his NA seat, the provincial assembly seats were left vacant.
NA-196 Kamber Shadadkot-I and NA-207 Shaheed Benazirabad-I were vacated after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto retained the seat he won in Larkana. President Asif Ali Zardari gave up his seat following his election as the head of the state.
The provincial constituencies where by-polls will be held on April 21 are PP-22 Chakwal-Cum-Talagang, PP-32 Gujrat-VI, PP-36 Wazirabad-II, PP-54 Narowal-I, PP-93 Bhakkar-V, PP-139 Sheikhupura-IV, PP-147 Lahore-III, PP-149 Lahore-V, PP-158 Lahore-XIV, PP-164 Lahore-XX, PP-266 Rahim Yar Khan-XII and PP-290 Dera Ghazi Khan-V in Punjab; PK-22 Bajaur-IV and PK-91 Kohat-II in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; PB-20 Khuzdar-III and PB-22 Lasbela in Balochistan and PS-80 Dadu-I in Sindh.
