Polling underway for NA-162 Sahiwal-III by-election

SAHIWAL – A day-long polling process is underway  for NA-162 Sahiwal-III by-election, where a major clash is expected between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

The polling started at 8:00am and would continue till 5:00pm without any formal interval.

There are total seven cadidates in the run for the NA seat. However, main contest is expected among PML-N’s Ch Muhammad Tufail, Rai Murtaza Iqbal of PTI and PPP candidate Shahzad Saeed Cheema.

The ECP said that there are over 300,000 registered voters in the constituency. Out of the total voters, about 175,000 are male voters and some 130,000 female voters.

For smooth and peaceful polling, as many as 293 polling stations have been set up, out of which 83 are for males, 84 for females, and 126 are combined.

Meanwhile, about 22 polling stations have been declared sensitive by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Elaborated security arrangements have been adopted to avert any unpleasant incident. Heavy contingents of police are present to ensure transparency and maintain law and order. Army personnel have also been deployed outside every polling station.

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

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

Later, Haji Ayub had challenged Rai Hasan’s victory with the Election Tribunal, alleging that Rai had not declared all of his assets with the Election Commission of Pakistan. He also accused the PTI lawmaker of being a loan defaulter.

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.

Afterwards, deciding the case, the apex court also upheld the tribunal’s decision, rejecting the plea filed by Rai Hasan Nawaz Khan.