NA by-polls on 37 constituencies postponed

Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan released a notification on Sunday related to the postponement of the by-elections on the 37 constituencies of National Assembly. The polls were scheduled to be held on March 16 and 19.

As per the notification, by-elections were to be held on the 24, 9 and 3 constituencies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Islamabad respectively. One constituency from Balochistan would also have gone for by-polls if not postponed.

The ECP said the announcement for postponement was taken after taking into consideration the recent court’s decisions.

Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has convened a meeting of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday (March 13) to discuss the PTI’s petitions against the “illegal imposition” of Section 144 and ban on the party’s rallies in Lahore.

Ahead of its election rally in Lahore, the PTI approached the ECP on Sunday against the “illegal imposition of Section 144 in Lahore” by the caretaker Punjab government.

President of Central Punjab of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Dr Yasmin Rashid on Sunday wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on the issue of stopping the PTI rally.

It has been stated in the letter that the Election Commission of Pakistan has issued the election schedule in Punjab, following which PTI announced a rally and the caretaker government imposed Section 144 [to stop the rally].

It was further mentioned that the rally was also brutally manhandled by the police earlier, due to which one of their activist was martyred. The PTI’s rally is going to be held at 2pm while PSL match is at 7pm.

In the letter, the electoral watchdog has been asked to take notice of the caretaker government’s role and declare the implementation of Section 144 illegal.

It should be noted that after the announcement by PTI Chairman Imran Khan to hold a rally today, the caretaker Punjab government has summoned the Rangers by imposing Section 144 in Lahore. PTI challenges clamping of Section 144 in Lahore in ECP

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has challenged Section 144 imposed in Lahore in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Talking to media, PTI leader and lawyer Babar Awan said a petition had been filed in the electoral body against the imposition of Section 144 in Lahore.

Earlier PTI chairman Imran Khan had a telephonic conversation with Babar Awan and directed him to challenge Section 144 in the ECP.

The petition stated that the ECP should end the implementation of Section 144. The implementation of Section 144 on PTI rally in Lahore is illegal and also a violation of the Supreme Court’s decision.

It further said the Punjab government is trying to stop the rally by using PSL match as justification, but the route of the rally and match is different, adding that the rally will end at 5:30pm while the PSL match will start at 7pm.

It said Section 144 has not been imposed during PSL in any city before and election campaign is the constitutional right of PTI.