June 14, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Sani 09, 1429

LAHORE, June 13: The chief election commissioner (CEC) on Friday authorised district returning officers, returning, assistant returning and presiding officers to exercise powers of the first class magistrate on the bypolls day on June 26.

These officers have been asked to take cognizance of offences punishable under sections 80, 82A, 83, 84, 85, 86 and 87 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 Act.

They are also directed to take cognizance under sub-section (1) of the Section 190 of the said code and try such offences in a summary way in accordance with the provisions of the said code relating to the summary trial.

The bypolls are due on six national assembly seats, including (NA-52, Rawalpindi-III; NA-55, Rawalpindi-IV; NA-119, Lahore-II; NA-123, Lahore-VI and NA-131 Sheikhupura-1) and 16 provincial assembly seats: PP-10 (Rawalpindi-X); PP-59 (Faisalabad-IX); PP-70 (Faisalabad-XX); PP-90 (Gujran-wala-IX); PP-107 (Hafizabad-III); PP-118 (Mandi Bahauddin); PP-124 (Sialkot-IV); PP-141 (Lahore-V); PP-154 (Lahore-XVIII); PP-171 (Nankana Sahib-II); PP-219 (Khanewal-VIII); PP-229 (Pakpattan-III); PP-243 (DG Khan-IV); PP-258 (Muzaffargarh-VIII); PP-277 (Bahawalnagar-I) and PP-295 (Rahim Yar Khan-XI).