Polling underway in Attock's PP-16

E-Paper | February 28, 2026

ATTOCK: Voting is underway on Tuesday for by-elections on PP-16 provincial assembly seat in Punjab's Attock district.

The polling began at 8am and will continue until 5pm without any pause.

The PP-16 seat fell vacant after the killing of Punjab home minister Shuja Khanzada in a suicide attack on Aug 16.

Only two candidates are contesting for by-polls in the PP-16 constituency, which are being held under the supervision of army and Rangers.

Jahangir Khanzada, the son of Colonel (retd) Shuja Khanzada, is contesting on a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ticket against Mohammad Naeem, an independent candidate.

No political party fielded its candidate to contest the by-polls against Jahangir Khanzada.

A total of 206,669 citizens will exercise their voting rights in today's by-polls. The number of male voters registered in the constituency is 114,027 while the number of female voters is 92,642.

The number of polling booths reserved for male voters is 244 while that of female voters is 181.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made in wake of the by-polls in Attock district, with some 900 Pakistan Army and Rangers personnel, and about 1500 police personnel deployed inside and outside polling stations.

The Election Commission of Pakistan earlier last week ordered the deployment of army and Rangers both inside and outside polling stations during the by-elections in NA-122 (Lahore), NA-144 (Okara), NA-154 (Lodhran), PP-147 (Lahore) and PP-16 (Attock) constituencies, Dawn newspaper reported.

According to a spokesman for the commission, the decision was taken because of the volatile law and order situation in the country and on the demand of the Provincial Election Commissioner, Punjab.

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Shahid

Oct 06, 2015 08:33am

Must inform that PTI did not contest this seat in respect of shaheed Shujah Khanzada

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Salman

Oct 06, 2015 08:55am

We salute the bravery of Col Shuja Khanzada Shaheed. His son should have been elected unopposed.

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divend

Oct 06, 2015 08:57am

@Shahid Why just PTI. No other party did as well. Its not like PTI had any chance of winning either.

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zjc

Oct 06, 2015 10:17am

@Shahid No, they knew they would loose badly like Haripur, that is why.................

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Mian kamran

Oct 06, 2015 10:40am

@divend pti openly supporting independent candidate

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last comment

Oct 06, 2015 12:05pm

Jahangir Khanzada, the son of Colonel (retd) Shuja Khanzada...it's not ideology it's lineage what else would you expect from PMLN.

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Omer

Oct 06, 2015 01:50pm

Independent Candidate should also not contest this by election in respect of Shaheed Khanzada.

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Tanweer Khan

Oct 06, 2015 02:04pm

With all due respect to the late (and great) Colonel (retd) Shuja Khanzada, what gives his son the right to contest this election???? I respect the political parties may have decided that as the colonel was assassinated, they didn't want to challenge for the seat under those circumstances. But that should only have been after PMLN had selected a proper candidate through a rigid process. If PTI and others are really worried about corruption, then they should have fielded a candidate on the basis of nepotism. Shame on PMLN for handing the ticket to the late colonel's son, and shame on PTI, PPP etc for not challenging blatant corruption and nepotism. Kudos to the independent candidate Mohammed Naeem. Let's hope he wins the seat, and remains an independent.

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Rauf

Oct 06, 2015 02:49pm

@Tanweer Khan What you said was very harsh. But I after thinking neutrally agree with you 100%. We can pay respect by doing Fatiha for the late Colonel. But not by giving away a seat to his son. Who know what character is of his son? I support PTI but at this time, they are wrong. Thanks Tanweer to opening up aour minds.

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Tanweer Khan

Oct 06, 2015 03:37pm

@Rauf Thanks Rauf - Yes, i agree that my comment was very harsh. But sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. I am glad that you have reflected on my point and realised that Khanzada junior may not necessarily have the right qualities to be the candidate. This is what I call nepotism - and that is precisely what is KILLING Pakistan. People are being given roles, tickets, jobs on the basis of corruption and nepotism. If PMLN had chosen a candidate through a proper process, instead of blatantly using the credentials of a shaheed, I would have said 'well done PMLN, and well done PTI and others for respecting the shahadat of the late colonel'. In this case, PMLN have selected the candidate, simply because he is the son of the late colonel. Hence why, I am bitterly disappointed that those individuals that claim to be bringing change via a corrupt free Naya Pakistan, and have blatantly decided to remain silent and allowed this corrupt act to be perpetrated.

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