LAHORE, Dec 3: Byelection to four National Assembly and two Punjab Assembly seats will be held on Dec 17. This was announced by the chief election commissioner, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, at a high-level meeting here on Saturday. Election Commission secretary K.M. Dilshad, Punjab Chief Secretary Salman Siddique, provincial election commissioner Rahim Nawaz Khan Durrani, IGP Ziaul Hassan, additional chief secretary Khusro Pervaiz, home secretary Najeebullah Malik and district returning officers were present.

On complaints of the DROs that police were not cooperating with them, the CEC asked the IGP to issue directions to the DIGs and DPOs for extending all-out help when and where it would be needed.

Later, Justice Dogar told journalists that the byelection would also be held as transparently and fairly as were the last local polls. He asserted that the local elections were fair and transparent, as both the winners as well as the losers were satisfied with its results.

He told a questioner that army would be called out when and where it would be required to maintain law and order. However, the police would make better arrangements this time.

At least 1,253 polling stations will be set up for bypolls for NA-64, Sargodha; NA-132, Sheikhupura; NA-180, Muzaffargarh; NA-189, Bahawalnagar; PP-33, Sargodha; and PP-117, Mandi Bahauddin.

As many as 1,399,887 voters will use their right to franchize at these polling stations.