Web desk: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has postponed by-elections in five National Assembly and four Punjab Assembly constituencies due to floods and the deteriorating situation caused by heavy rainfall across Punjab.
According to the ECP, polls have been postponed in NA-129 Lahore, NA-143 Sahiwal, NA-66 Wazirabad, NA-104 Faisalabad, and NA-96 Faisalabad, along with PP-98 Faisalabad, PP-203 Sahiwal, PP-73 Sargodha, and PP-87 Mianwali.
The commission stated that unprecedented flooding has severely disrupted Punjab’s communication networks, with roads and bridges swept away. Government and private buildings, schools, and polling station infrastructure have also suffered significant damage.
It added that personnel engaged in relief and rescue operations cannot simultaneously perform election duties, while District Returning Officers have flagged the unavailability of polling staff.
The Punjab government also advised delaying the polls because there is a high number of displaced voters within the affected flood areas, and thus, they cannot participate in the electoral process. The ECP warned that low turnout and voter disenfranchisement were highly likely, referencing reports from print and electronic media on the scale of devastation.
The commission assured that elections will be rescheduled when the conditions are restored to normal.
Reports indicate that the climate change-enhanced devastating monsoon rains have impacted almost 1.5 million people, destroyed more than 3,000 houses, 400 schools and 40 healthcare facilities, leaving hundreds of thousands in need of humanitarian aid.
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