Coalition partners to boycott NA by-elections in KP

PESHAWAR: On Saturday, the coalition government’s members declared that they would run in the upcoming by-elections for three National Assembly seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

Pakistan Democratic Party K-P spokesperson Abdul Jalil Jan remarked that “it is our policy and decision that we would not participate in any by-elections”, adding that the “coalition parties are presently preparing for general elections and will participate in them”.

There won’t be any candidates running for the NA-22 Mardan, NA-24 Charsadda, or NA-31 Peshawar seats from the parties represented by the PDM.

In the 2018 general elections, PTI candidates Ali Muhammad Khan, Fazal Muhammad Khan, and Haji Shaukat Ali took home the three seats K-P.

After the resignation of the PTI lawmakers from the NA, PTI chief Imran Khan won the by-elections held on October 16 last year on the above-mentioned three seats.

However, these seats were declared vacant by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as the ousted prime minister had failed to take an oath.

Last month, the electoral watchdog announced that by-elections on 31 vacant seats of the NA would be held on March 19, as the polls supervisory body held consultations regarding the dates for holding elections of the provincial assemblies of Punjab and K-P.

The ECP announced the schedule for the 31 NA by-elections. It states that nomination papers must be filed between February 10 and February 14 and will be reviewed on February 18.

Up until March 1, the candidates could withdraw their nomination papers. The candidates would then receive their election insignia on March 2. The ECP announced that March 19 will be election day for the empty constituencies.

Also read: PML-N ultimately concedes to the Punjab and K-P elections

Also read: Pakistan hopes to promote public-private collaborations with Google FM