The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has handed over the ballot papers to polling staff under foolproof security, finalizing all other arrangements for free and fair by-elections in 20 constituencies of Punjab on Sunday.
The polling will start at 8 am and continue without break till 5 pm, said the spokesperson for the ECP on Saturday.
Though the by-polls will be held on a mere five percent of the total number of seats (371) of the Punjab Assembly, the outcome will decide the crown of Punjab.
The re-poll for Punjab chief minister slot will be held on the evening of July 22 on the basis of the results of by-polls, as per the direction of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Analysts believe results will equally determine the future rulers of Pakistan. Some 175 candidates of different parties and independents are contesting the elections in 14 districts of the province, the main battle will be held between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Both political rivals claim they will be winners on Sunday. The PML-N currently enjoys a majority in the Punjab Assembly. Besides its own 165 MPAs, the Pakistan People’s Party’s seven members, four independents and one MPA of the Rah-e-Haq Party are also supporting the current rulers of the province, making its total number 177.
The PTI has 163 MPAs and with the support of 10 members of the Pakistan Muslim League- Quaid (PML-Q), its numbers reach 173. From 20 seats, the former needs nine while the latter requires 13 to keep control over Punjab.
Both parties ran the fierce campaign on the ground, along with traditional and social media to attract voters. Polls on Sunday are considered a referendum to gauge the popularity of the main political rivals in the province. The election is a test case for PTI chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan’s anti-America and somehow anti-establishment narrative.
The polls pose an even bigger challenge for the PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz and the entire Sharif Family, the longest-serving ruler of Punjab. In charge of the PML-N election campaign and party’s Vice-President Maryam has established herself as the main challenger to Khan in politics for the last few years. Her father and three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif may have been a disinterested premier but he is not disinterested in his daughter’s inheritance, many believe.
Inheritor of her father’s political legacy, Maryam believes she is the future prime minister of Pakistan. Though the PPP and one dozen political parties making Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and currently enjoying power in the centre have extended support to the PML-N in the by-poll, it is a direct contest between the Nawaz League and the PTI since the other parties have minor political support in the province.
Yet, the PTI claims it is one versus-all contest. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, a Brelvi/Sunni far-right party is also expected to get considerable votes in the by-polls. The
TLP candidates are contesting the elections at all 20 seats. Sunday’s elections will be held in four constituencies of Lahore, two each in Jhang, Lodhran and Muzaffargarh and one each in Multan, Sheikhupura, and Rawalpindi, Sahiwal, Bahawalnagar, Khushab, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad and Layyah.
The ECP has declared 674 polling stations as highly sensitive where personnel of the Pakistan Army will be deployed along with Rangers and Police staff.
Among the total 3,141 polling stations, 1,194 and 1,271 are categorized as sensitive and normal, respectively. Among the total 4,580,000 voters who will exercise their right to vote on Sunday, 2,119,000 are female and 2,460,000 male voters, said the ECP.
The secretary of the ECP camped in Lahore for three days (from Saturday to Monday) while the commission will monitor the polls from Islamabad, as per the ECP.
