ISLAMABAD: The Election Commis­sion of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday rejected a Punjab government’s plea for postponement of NA-133 (Lahore) by-election scheduled to be held on Dec 5.

Informed sources said the ECP took the decision at a meeting held to consider a request by the Punjab government for putting off the by-election till normalisation of the law and order situation in the province. It was presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

The ECP decision came a day after the government and the proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) reached an agreement, bringing the latter’s violent protest to an end.

The Punjab Home Department had written a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan, making a request for rescheduling the by-election in the provincial capital citing the current security situation as the reason.

The letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn, said the provincial government was committed to making all-out efforts to hold free and fair elections in a safe and secure environment in compliance with the ECP decision, but the TLP had started a violent long march towards Islamabad to exert pressure on the government for acceptance of its demands.

Provincial govt cited law and order situation as reason for seeking delay

“These protesters are seriously undermining the safety and security of lives and properties of the public at large. Consequently, several police personnel have been martyred and some of them seriously injured in the ongoing violent protest so far,” read the letter.

The letter further said that the District Intelligence Committee (DIC), Lahore, had in its meeting on October 28 strongly recommended rescheduling of the by-election owing to the current and future apprehended security scenario.

“Furthermore, it is pertinent to mention that the death anniversary of Mr Khadim Husain Rizvi (former TLP leader) is falling on 19.11.2021 and there is a grave apprehension that we may face a serious law and order situation during months after this date as well,” it said.

It requested the ECP to keep in view the law and order situation in coming months and reschedule the by-election in NA-133 till normalisation of the situation.

It noted that this would allow the provincial government, local administration and police to ensure a safe and secure election in the constituency.

The ECP had on October 18 announced the schedule for by-election in NA-133, setting December 5 as the poll date.

The seat fell vacant due to the death of PML-N MNA Pervaiz Malik. The PML-N lawmaker died of heart complications on October 11. He was elected as the party’s MNA from Lahore’s NA-133 seat after general elections in 2018. He was also the party’s Lahore president.

Mr Malik’s wife, Shaista Pervaiz, and his son, Ali Pervaiz Malik, are also members of the National Assembly.

The nomination papers have already been filed by the candidates and the scrutiny process has also been completed.

November 3, under the schedule, is the last date for filing appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers by the returning officer. November 9 is the last date for deciding the appeals by the appellate tribunal.

In an interesting development linked with the by-poll, the returning officer had on Saturday rejected the nomination papers of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Food Security Jamshed Iqbal Cheema for NA-133 (Lahore) by-poll over anomalies found in his candidature.

The nomination papers of his wife, Musarrat Cheema, who was his covering candidate, were also rejected for similar reasons. According to returning officer Syed Basit Ali Shah, the proposers for the two candidates are not residents of the constituency as required under the election laws.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2021