Daily Times

A total of 239 candidates were vying for 23 vacant seats in both national and provincial assemblies during the upcoming by-elections slated for April 21, an official of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said.

A total of 239 candidates will contest in the by elections, with 50 of them competing for vacant National Assembly seats. Notably, the first lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari has already been elected unopposed for NA 207, he said.

He said that a total of 23 candidates were vying for the vacant seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, while 154 candidates were seeking their fortunes in Punjab. In Sindh, Zubair Ahmed Junejo secured his seat unopposed on PS-80.

Twelve contenders are in the running for the empty seats in the Balochistan Assembly. The Commission has schedule to commence printing the ballot papers for the by-elections upon the finalization of candidate lists by the relevant returning officers on March 30, he added.

He stated that necessary election materials had been provided to provincial election commissioners. Additionally, district Returning Officers and Returning Officers are fulfilling their duties according to the established election schedule.

He said close coordination has been maintained by the commission with the Ministries of Interior and Defense as
well as provincial law enforcement agencies.

On March 13, the Commission announced the schedule for by-elections across 23 National and Provincial Assembly seats. These elections encompass six National Assembly seats, twelve Punjab Assembly seats,

two seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, one seat in the Sindh Assembly and two seats in the Balochistan Assembly, all slated for April 21, he told.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has granted Returning Officers (ROs) and Presiding Officers (POs) powers equivalent to those of first-class magistrates to ensure the seamless execution of the forthcoming by-elections on five national and 16 provincial Assembly constituencies scheduled for April 21.

District Returning Officers (DROs) and Returning Officers (ROs) were vested with magisterial powers as per the notification issued by the ECP, in adherence to Section 193 of the Election Act 2017.

The Presiding officers have the authority to employ these powers during the by-elections across five national and 16 provincial assemblies in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, spanning from April 20 to 22, until the official declaration of final results for the candidates.

Returning Officers (ROs) and District Returning Officers (DROs) are empowered to take action against candidates who violate the code of conduct set forth by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

These officers have the authority equivalent to that of a Magistrate first class concerning offenses outlined in Sections 169 and 171. They can also initiate legal proceedings under Section 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and conduct summary trials as per Chapter XX of the code. It is important to note that by-elections will be conducted on April 21 for 21 constituencies of National and Provincial Assemblies.