CHAKWAL: The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced the schedule for PP-20 (Chakwal-I) by-election on Friday, according to which, the election would be held on Jan 9.

PP 20 seat fell vacant on Oct 30 after the PML-N’s MPA Chaudhry Liaquat Ali Khan died.

“The nomination papers can be submitted from Nov 16 to 18 while the scrutiny of the papers would be done by Nov 27,” District Election Commissioner Sardar Mazhar Hussain told Dawn. The main battle for PP-20 would be between PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Although both the parties are yet to finalise their candidates, according to sources PML-N would award ticket to Chaudhry Haider Sultan, the elder son of late Ch Liaquat Ali Khan while PTI would field Ali Nasir Bhatti.

The prospective candidate of PTI stood third in last general election as he secured 32,827 votes while Chaudhry Ejaz Hussain Farhat, an independent candidate, was runner up as he bagged 35,570 votes.

Now Mr. Farhat is also in PML-N as his leader Sardar Ghulam Abbas had joined the party in Sept 2016.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2017