By-elections are underway in six National Assembly constituencies and seven Punjab Assembly seats across Pakistan, with most of the contests taking place in Punjab and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The National Assembly constituencies include NA-18 (Haripur) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and five in Punjab: NA-96 (Faisalabad), NA-104 (Faisalabad), NA-129 (Lahore), NA-143 (Sahiwal), and NA-185 (Dera Ghazi Khan).
Punjab Assembly constituencies where polling is being held are PP-73 (Sargodha), PP-87 (Mianwali), PP-98, PP-115 and PP-116 (all Faisalabad), PP-203 (Sahiwal), and PP-269 (Muzaffargarh).
In NA-129 (Lahore-XIII), the seat fell vacant following the death of former Punjab governor and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Mian Muhammad Azhar. His grandson, Chaudhry Arsalan, is contesting the seat, while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has fielded Hafiz Mian Muhammad Nauman.
The PTI alleged discrepancies in ballot paper distribution at Government Model Girls High School, Samanabad (Polling Station No. 330), where party leader Hammad Azhar posted a Form-36 “Packing Invoice” on social media, claiming 18 ballot paper books were issued. However, the presiding officer marked and signed a correction, indicating 15 books were received.
An election official, speaking on condition of anonymity, attributed the discrepancy to a typographical error and confirmed that 15 books were issued, based on serial numbers.
PML-N leader Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, head of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, cast his vote at a polling station in Union Council 100. He described votes for Nauman as support for “public service, transparent leadership and sustainable development,” according to state-run APP.
In Faisalabad, polling is being held in two National Assembly constituencies — NA-96 and NA-104 — and three Punjab Assembly seats: PP-98, PP-115 and PP-116.
In NA-96, PML-N has nominated Muhammad Bilal Badar Chaudhry, brother of Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry. In NA-104, the party’s candidate is Daniyal Ahmed, son of former National Assembly opposition leader Raja Riaz. Ahmed is contesting against three independent candidates.
Ahmed previously lost the 2024 general election to PTI-backed Sahibzada Hamid Raza, who secured 132,655 votes. Voter turnout in the constituency was reported to be low as of midday.
In PP-98, PML-N’s Azad Ali Tabbasum is contesting against nine independent candidates. Turnout at several polling stations was reported to be minimal by noon.
PML-N had not contested this seat in the 2024 general election, instead backing the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) candidate Muhammad Ajmal, who finished second to PTI-backed Junaid Afzal Sahi.
More than 6,500 security personnel were deployed across 1,240 polling stations in five constituencies, according to a police spokesperson. The polling stations included 64 categorized as high-risk (Category A), 610 as medium-risk (Category B), and 566 as low-risk (Category C).
Senior Superintendent of Police Nasir Mahmood Bajwa reviewed security arrangements alongside other senior officers.
