Polling for NA-162 Sahiwal III by-election on July 19

SAHIWAL (Staff Report) - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that it will hold polling for the NA-162 Sahiwal III by-election, to be held on July 19.

According to an ECP notification, the nomination papers will be submitted by candidates on June 20 and 21, while scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on June 22 and June 23.

The final list of candidate contesting for the by-election will be displayed on July 1, 2016, after a decision had been taken on the objections filed by the candidates.

The constituency has over 300,000 registered voters, out of which about 175,000 are male voters and some 130,000 are female voters.

The seat had fallen vacant, when the Supreme Court of Pakistan upheld a decision of Election Tribunal to declare the election of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) Rai Hasan Nawaz Khan on the allegation of not declaring his assets with the ECP.

In the 2013 general elections,  Rai Hasan Nawaz Khan had bagged 88,974 votes while independent candidate Haji Mohammad Ayub Khan got 75,756 votes.

Later on, Haji Ayub had challenged Rai Hasan's victory with an Election Tribunal, alleging that Rai has not declared all of his assets with the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Haji Ayub also accused Rai Hasan Nawaz of being a defaulter of millions of rupees and concealing the facts in his nomination papers.

At which, the Election Tribunal ordered the ECP to hold a by-election on the National Assembly seat, however  Rai Hasan Nawaz Khan moved Supreme Court against the decision. Now, in its verdict, the apex court has also upheld the tribunal's decision, rejecting the plea filed by PTI leader.