The PTI on Saturday issued detailed instructions to its polling agents and workers ahead of Sunday’s by-election in Lahore’s NA-129 constituency. The seat fell vacant after the July death of PTI MNA Mian Azhar, father of party leader Hammad Azhar. Hammad, who remains absconding in various cases, urged his polling agents to ensure transparency from the moment polling materials are opened.
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In a series of posts on X, Hammad instructed agents to verify that Forms 45 and 46 were blank when the election material bags are opened. He stressed that polling agents must remain present throughout the polling and counting processes and ensure that ballot boxes remain within sight at all times. He added that polling agents had the lawful right to obtain their copy of Form 45 based on the final count and warned that any obstruction by staff could lead to “strict legal punishment”.
این اے 129 کے تمام پولنگ ایجنٹ اور کارکنان کے لئے اہم ہدایات؛
– صبح جب الیکشن میٹریل کی بوریاں کھولی جائیں تو خالی فارم 45 اور 46 اس میں موجود ہوں اور آپ کو دکھائے جائیں۔ یہ سب سے ضروری ہے۔
– پولنگ کے دوران اور گنتی کے وقت آپ کا موجود ہونا ضروری ہے۔ پولنگ کے ڈبے کسی بھی وقت…
— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) November 22, 2025
The PTI leader also directed party workers to stay at polling camps even after the close of polling and peacefully follow presiding officers to the returning officer’s office. Separately, Hammad issued a message to presiding officers and polling staff, cautioning them against participating in any “illegal act” and alleging that they were being pressured by unidentified actors seeking personal protection abroad.
این اے 129 کے محترم پریزائیڈنگ افسران اور انتخابی عملہ!
ہمیں معلوم ہے کہ آپ کو ڈرایا اور دھمکایا جا رہا ہے۔ لیکن جو لوگ یہ سب کر رہے ہیں، وہ اپنے لیے تو استثنیٰ ڈھونڈ رہے ہیں، بیرونِ ملک جائیدادیں خرید رہے ہیں اور اپنے خاندانوں کو وہاں منتقل کر رہے ہیں۔
آپ کو غیر آئینی اقدامات…— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) November 22, 2025
The NA-129 by-poll is seeing a close contest between PTI-backed independent candidate Chaudhry Arsalan Ahmad, nephew of the late Mian Azhar, and PML-N’s Hafiz Mian Nauman, who previously lost to Azhar by over 30,000 votes in the 2024 general elections. The PTI has accused the Punjab government of attempting to influence the by-election, highlighting concerns over the appointment of Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) officials as presiding officers — an allegation Lesco’s CEO denied, attributing the decision to the Election Commission of Pakistan.
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The campaign period has also seen controversy, with video footage showing local police removing banners of the PTI-backed candidate. As in the 2024 elections, the PTI’s revoked electoral symbol has forced Arsalan Ahmad to contest as an independent, this time on the “geyser” symbol.