This file photo shows voters queuing up outside a polling station as a Rangers officials stands on duty.
This file photo shows voters queuing up outside a polling station as a Rangers officials stands on duty.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday issued a list of instructions for voters who will take part in the upcoming by-polls.

  • To avoid the confusion seen in the general elections, the ECP has informed voters that mobile phones, cameras and bags will not be allowed inside polling stations.

  • Voters should get the information about the polling stations they are registered in by sending their National Identity Card (NIC) number to 8300 as a text message.
    PLEASE WRITE DOWN YOUR DETAILS ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND KEEP IT WITH YOU WHEN YOU GO TO VOTE.

  • Voters must bring their original NICs with them in order to be able to cast their votes. "Any document other than the NIC will not be acceptable," the notice warns. Expired NICs will also be acceptable.

  • Voting will start from 8am and will continue non-stop until 5pm. Preferential treatment will be given to pregnant women, transgenders, differently-abled and the elderly. After 5pm, only voters that are inside the polling station will be allowed to cast their votes.

  • Voters are also requested to observe the secrecy of the ballot and cooperate with the security personnel and polling staff. The notice assures voters that security personnel will not stop them from entering their respective polling stations.

Opinion

Editorial

A new chokepoint
Updated 24 Jul, 2026

A new chokepoint

WITH free transit of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz blocked due to the US-Iran conflict, a new chokepoint has...
Improved rating
24 Jul, 2026

Improved rating

S&P GLOBAL’S decision to upgrade Pakistan’s long-term sovereign credit rating to ‘B’ with a stable...
More firetraps
24 Jul, 2026

More firetraps

WHILE it was already apparent that death traps dot Karachi, a safety audit by the Sindh government has thrown up...
De-escalation efforts
23 Jul, 2026

De-escalation efforts

WHILE the exchange of fire across the Gulf — and the wider Middle East — continues between the US and Iran,...
Time to integrate
23 Jul, 2026

Time to integrate

PAKISTAN remains one of the least regionally integrated economies in Asia. The trade figures for the last fiscal ...
Modi unnerved
23 Jul, 2026

Modi unnerved

DISCONTENT is visible in India. Delhi has been on the boil since last month. As thousands took to the streets ...