ISLAMABAD: The Election Com­mission of Pakistan (ECP) may announce new dates for by-polls in 13 national and provincial assembly constituencies tomorrow (Monday).

Informed sources told Dawn on Saturday that a meeting of the ECP has been called on September 12 to review the flood situation in the country and possibly decide new dates for the polls which were postponed on Sept 8.

The devastation caused by floods and non-availability of army, Rangers and police personnel were cited as reasons to postpone the polls.

The polls were to be held on Sept 11 on National Assembly seat NA-157 Multan IV and Punjab Assembly’s constituencies PP-139 Sheikhupura and PP-241 Bahawalnagar V.

The constituency in Multan fell vacant as former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s son Zain Qureshi resigned after he won the provincial assembly seat PP-217 (Multan) in the by-polls held on July 17.

Meanwhile, polls on nine NA seats that fell vacant after NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf accepted the resignations of PTI lawmakers were to be held on Sept 25.

These constituencies include: NA-22 Mardan III, NA-24 Charsadda II, NA-31 Peshawar V, NA-45 Kurram I, NA-108 Faisalabad VIII, NA-118 Nankana Sahib II, NA-237 Malir II, NA-239 Korangi Karachi I, NA-246 Karachi South.

Polling was also schedulee in PP-209 Khanewal VII, on October 2.

On August 23, the ECP had sought the services of Pakistan Army, Rangers and Frontier Constabulary to maintain law and order. However the interior ministry said security agencies were involved in flood relief efforts, internal security and prevention of terrorist activities in the country, thus can’t be deployed.

The commission concluded that the deployment was imperative to conduct the polls in a peaceful manner and decided to postpone the process.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2022