Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has urged all political parties and candidates contesting to follow the provisions of law and exercise self-restraint during Sunday’s (17 July) by-polls on Twenty seats of the Punjab Assembly.
In a press release on Friday, the Commission also directed all parties to end their election campaigns from midnight falling between the 15th and 16th of July per Section 182 of the Election Act, 2017.
“Any person who contravenes these provisions of law shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend two years or a fine which may extend to one hundred thousand rupees or with both,” the Commission warned.
Punjab by-polls
Twenty-Five seats had fallen vacant after being de-seated by the ECP for going against party directives and voting for Hamza Shehbaz in the election for the CM Punjab on April 16.
After the election of Hamza Shehbaz as the CM, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi filed a reference in the ECP seeking the disqualification of 25 PTI dissident lawmakers.
After hearing arguments, the ECP de-seated the 25 dissent PTI members of the Punjab Assembly on May 20.
The ECP’s decision to de-seat dissident lawmakers came after the Supreme Court of Pakistan announced that the votes of a party’s turncoats would not be counted.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on June 27 directed the ECP to notify PTI’s lawmakers on five reserved seats.
On the remaining Twenty seats, by-polls would be conducted tomorrow (17 July). Fierce competition is expected to take place between the PMLN and the PTI. The by-polls would be crucial to determine who would come on top and secure the most seat in the provincial assembly when the assembly meets on July 22 for the re-election of the CM Punjab.
