LAHORE: Punjab’s Election Commissioner Ghulam Israr today (Saturday) has announced by-election in Daska’s NA-75 constituency on April 10, following orders from the Supreme Court.
The decision was taken during a meeting held to discuss the Daska by-polls, with the secretary election commission in the chair. It was decided that the presiding officer will have to sign on “Form 45” inside the polling station.
The polling agent would not leave the polling station without taking ‘Form 45’ and no political figure would be allowed to meet the returning officer while receiving the election results.
Talking to journalists after meeting, Ghulam Israr said security arrangements will be further enhanced during the election. “The election will be held peacefully, and cameras will be installed at sensitive polling stations,” he added.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan, on Friday, rejected PTI’s appeal against re-polling in NA-75 Daska and upheld the earlier order of the Election Commission of Pakistan for re-polling in NA-75.
A bench, headed by Justice Umar Atta Bandial, heard the case. PTI’s Asjad Ali Malhi, who contested the by-elections, approached the SC and challenged the ECP’s decision to hold re-polls in the entire constituency.
The PML-N had demanded re-polling in 109 ‘controversial’ polling stations of the NA-75 Daska, if not the entire constituency. Violence marred the NA-75 by-election which had taken place in February, as firing incidences took the lives of two people and injured a few.
