ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday issuedschedule for by-elections on 33 seats of the National Assembly fell vacantafter National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf accepted resignations ofPTI lawmakers and AML chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed earlier this month.
An official notification stated that the elections have been announced “inpursuance of Section 57 of the Elections Act 2017 (Act Na XXXIII of 2017),read with Section 102 and clause (4) of Article 224 of the Constitution ofthe Islamic Republic of Pakistan”.
The by-elections will be held in NA-4 Swat-III, NA-17 Haripur-I, NA-18Swabi-I, NA-25 Nowshera-I, NA 26 Nowshera-II, NA-32 Kohat, NA-38 DI Khan-I,NA-43 Khyber-I, NA-52 Islamabad-I, NA 53 Islambad-II, NA 57 Rawalpindi-I,NA 57 Rawalpindi-III, NA 60 Rawalpindi-IV, NA 62 Rawalpindi-VI, NA 63Rawalpindi-VII, NA-67 Jhelum-II, NA-97 Bhakkar-I, NA-126 Lahore-IV, NA-130Lahore-VII, NA 155 Multan-II, NA 156 Multan-II, NA-191 DG Khan-III, NA 241,Korang Karachi-III, NA 242 Karachi East-I, NA 243 Karachi East-II, NA 244Karachi East-III, NA 247 Karachi South-II, NA 250 Karachi West, NA 252Karachi West, NA 254 Karachi Central, NA 256 Karachi Central and NA 265Quetta-II.
On Jan 17, the NA speaker accepted resignations of PTI MNAs includingPervaiz Khattak, Hammad Azhar, Fawad Chaudhry, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, AsadQaisar, Murad Saeed, Shafqat Mehmood, Sheharyar Afridi, Zartaj Gul, AlamgirKhan, Noorul Haq Qadri, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, Ali Nawaz Awan and Ali AminKhan.
So far, the speaker has accepted resignations of 124 PTI lawmakers, whoannounced to quit the assembly following the ouster of former primeminister Imran Khan through no-confidence motion in April 2022.
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As per the schedule, the ECP has directed the candidates to submit theirnomination papers to the returning officers from Feb 6 to Feb 8 whilescrutiny of nominations papers will be conducted on Feb 13.
After allotment of election symbols to the candidates on Feb 23, thepolling will be held in the constituencies on March 16.