ECP Postpones Punjab By-Elections Amid Flood Emergency

ECP Postpones Punjab By-Elections Amid Flood Emergency

 Lahore, September 4, 2025, Ali Imran Chattha 

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the postponement of upcoming by-elections in Punjab, citing the ongoing flood emergency that has devastated large parts of the province. According to an official order issued on Thursday, the Commission had earlier released the schedule for by-elections in five National Assembly and four Punjab Assembly constituencies, with polling dates set for September 18 and October 5, 2025. 

The constituencies included NA-66 Wazirabad, NA-96 Faisalabad-XI, NA-104 Faisalabad-X, NA-129 Lahore-XIII, NA-143 Sahiwal-III, PP-73 Sargodha-I, PP-87 Mianwali-II, PP-98 Faisalabad-I, and PP-203 Sahiwal-V. The ECP stated that, while it is bound by the Constitution to conduct by-polls under Article 224(4) of the Constitution and Section 102(4) of the Elections Act, the extraordinary situation caused by the recent floods has made it impossible to proceed with the electoral process. Thousands of families across Punjab have been displaced, infrastructure has been destroyed, and relief operations remain the top priority of state institutions. These by-elections were necessitated following the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers, many of whom were convicted and punished by courts in connection with the May 9 riots. 

The vacant seats in Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Mianwali, Sahiwal, and Wazirabad had been scheduled for re-election to restore representation in both the National and Provincial Assemblies. The floods, however, have upended the political calendar. The ECP has assured that new dates will be announced once the situation normalizes and conditions allow for safe and transparent polling. Punjab has been one of the hardest-hit provinces in the ongoing monsoon disaster, with swollen rivers, urban flooding, and widespread crop losses adding to the humanitarian crisis. Relief agencies are still struggling to provide shelter and food to thousands of affected families, while fears of disease outbreaks grow in waterlogged areas. Analysts note that the postponement will temporarily ease political pressure but also extends uncertainty in constituencies left unrepresented after the disqualification of PTI legislators.