KHUZDAR: Leaders of various political parties and independent candidates collected nomi­nation papers for by-election on NA-256 Khuzdar as the deadline for their submission will expire on Feb 24 (tomorrow).

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, polling for the seat will be held on April 5, while scrutiny of nomination papers will be completed by March 4. The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers is March 17.

Those who obtained nomination papers inc­lude PPP’s Agha Shakeel Ahmed Durrani, Sardar­zada Mir Zafarullah Sasoli, Nawabzada Amir Hamza Zehri and Salah­uddin Dayan; JUI-F’s Sardar Ali Muhammad Qalandarani, Maulana Inayatullah Rodeni and Maulana Qamaruddin; Mir Shafiq ur Rehman Mengal of the Jhalawan Awami Panel; and Mir Abdul Rehman Zehri.

The National Assem­bly seat fell vacant after the resignation of Sardar Akhtar Mengal, chief of his faction of the Balo­chistan National Party (BNP-M). His resignation was accepted by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq last week.

Mr Mengal had submitted his resignation in September 2024, over security tensions in Balochistan.

“[The] PML-N has at last accepted my resignation after dragging its feet long enough to expose its own fear,” Mr Mengal said in a social media post, referring to the speaker’s party.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2026