HARIPUR: Polling is underway for by-elections in six National Assembly and seven Punjab Assembly constituencies, and voting will continue until 5 pm today.
By-elections are being held in the National Assembly constituencies NA-18 Haripur, NA-129 Lahore, NA-143 Sahiwal, NA-185 Dera Ghazi Khan, NA-96 Faisalabad, and NA-104 Faisalabad.
Simultaneously, voters are casting their ballots in the Punjab Assembly constituencies of PP-98, PP-115, and PP-116 in Faisalabad; PP-73 in Sargodha; PP-87 in Mianwali; PP-203 in Sahiwal; and PP-269 in Muzaffargarh.
The polling process is reported to be progressing smoothly across most stations.
The single NA constituency in Haripur has 361,605 women voters and 392,339 men voters.
According to police, 40 polling stations have been declared as the most sensitive, 100 sensitive, and 462 normal, where over 5,000 police personnel have been deployed to ensure smooth polling.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) code of conduct for the armed forces, troops will be deployed outside polling stations declared most sensitive and will remain in quick-response mode at the remaining stations as third-tier responders.
The personnel have been directed to perform duties strictly in accordance with Article 245 of the Constitution, the law, and the mandate assigned to the armed forces to assist the election regulator.
While stationed outside selected polling stations, they have been instructed to focus solely on ensuring a secure environment, complying with all relevant laws, and maintaining public confidence by safeguarding voters and preserving law and order throughout the polling process.
Read also: ECP issues media guidelines ahead of By-Elections
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a code of conduct for media outlets in light of the upcoming by-elections scheduled tomorrow, on 23rd November, in several constituencies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
According to the guidelines, no media organization is allowed to broadcast unofficial results from polling stations until at least one hour after voting closes.
According to ECP guidelines, any dissemination of such results must clearly indicate that they are partial and unofficial.
Media outlets have been informed that any violation of these instructions may prompt the Commission to take appropriate disciplinary action through the relevant authorities.
