ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to postpone by-elections in nine National Assembly and Punjab Assembly constituencies due to the ongoing flood crisis. The affected seats had mostly become vacant following the convictions of PTI lawmakers in connection with the May 9 riots.
In an official notification issued Thursday, the ECP announced that by-elections for NA-66 Wazirabad, NA-96 Faisalabad, NA-104 Faisalabad, NA-129 Lahore, NA-143 Sahiwal, PP-73 Sargodha, PP-87 Mianwali, PP-98 Faisalabad, and PP-203 Sahiwal would be delayed. The elections, initially scheduled for September 18 and October 5, will be rescheduled once the situation improves.
The decision followed an ECP meeting that reviewed a request from the provincial government and district returning officers, who cited extensive flood damage as the reason for the delay. The floods have severely impacted infrastructure, washing away roads, bridges, railways, and electrical poles, as well as damaging government buildings and schools designated as polling stations.
The ECP also noted that ongoing rescue and relief efforts in flood-affected areas have stretched civil administration and law enforcement agencies, leaving many polling staff unavailable for election duties. District returning officers reported difficulties in organizing the elections as planned due to the unavailability of election personnel and resources.
The Punjab government formally requested the postponement, highlighting the engagement of civil administration in rescue operations. The ECP emphasized that holding elections under such disruptive conditions would compromise voter participation and security.
The ECP reiterated its constitutional responsibility to ensure secure and fair elections and stated that polling would resume once conditions stabilize to guarantee full voter participation and election integrity.
As of now, the floods have claimed at least 46 lives and affected over 3.7 million people, with nearly 1.8 million individuals evacuated from 3,900 submerged villages across Punjab.
