PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced that by-elections will be held in one National Assembly and nine provincial assembly constituencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Oct 14.

According to different ECP notifications, by-election will be held in NA-35 Bannu, the seat vacated by prime minister-elect Imran Khan to retain another National Assembly one.

Imran had won five NA seats in the July 25 election and was allowed by the law to keep only one of them.

Some seats vacated by members-elect, while polls weren’t held for others due to killing of candidates

Also, by-elections will be held in nine provincial assembly constituencies, including Swat’s PK-3 and PK-7, Swabi’s PK-44, Mardan’s PK-53, Nowshera’s PK-61 and PK-64, Peshawar’s PK-78, and DI Khan’s PK-97 and PK-99.

Elections didn’t take place in PK-78 and PK-99 due to the killing of candidates Haroon Ahmad Bilour of the ANP and Ikramullah Khan Gandapur of the PTI respectively.

Swat’s PK-3 seat was vacated by Haider Ali Khan, who retained the NA seat also won by him in the July 25 elections.

The PK-7 seat was vacated by Dr Amjad Ali, who was elected in two constituencies.

Swabi’s PK-44 seat fell vacant as Asad Qaiser kept the NA seat also won by him. Mr Qaiser was elected the National Assembly speaker.

Amir Haider Hoti vacated his provincial assembly seat, PK-53, to retain the NA seat.

Former chief minister Pervez Khattak vacated two provincial assembly seats, including PK-61 and PK-64, to retain NA seat, while Ali Ameen Gandapur vacated his provincial assembly seat, PK-97, to take oath as MNA.

Unlike the general elections in which mostly judicial officers served as the district returning officers and returning officers, the ECP has made regional election commissioners and district election commissioners the district returning officers and returning officers.

Regional election commissioner for Malakand region Javed Iqbal has been made DRO for by-polls in PK-3 and PK-7, Swabi REC Mohammad Naeem DRO for PK-44, Hazara REC Abdul Hafeez DRO for PK-53, district election officer of Nowshera Zulfiqar Ahmad DRO for PK-61 and PK-64, Peshawar REC Fazle Hakeem DRO for PK-78, Kohat REC Mohammad Tariq DRO for NA-35, and DI Khan REC Abdul Qayyum Khan DRO for PK-97 and PK-99.

If MPA Shah Farman, who is tipped by the PTI for the post of KP governor, vacates his PK-71, Peshawar, seat he’d won in the July 25 election, then by-elections in the constituency are likely to be held on Oct 14.

According to the by-election schedule announced by the ECP, public notices by the respective returning officers will be issued on Aug 27 after which nomination papers will be filed from Aug 28 to Aug 30.

The last date for the scrutiny of nomination papers will be Sept 4, while appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers by the returning officers will be filed by Sept 8.

The last date for deciding appeals by the election appellate tribunal will be Sept 13 following which revised list of candidates will be published on Sept 14.

The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers will be Sept 15.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2018