ECP to place CCTV cameras at sensitive polling stations in PP-206, NA-133

LAHORE: Ahead of the December by-polls in Lahore and Khanewal, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Monday that it would place CCTV cameras at all the sensitive polling stations in PP-206 and NA-133.

The by-polls in Lahore and Khanewal are scheduled to be held on December 5 and December 16, respectively.

The decision to use CCTV cameras were made in an ECP meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja.

The CEC has also instructed the concerned officers to leave no stone unturned in conducting free and fair by-polls in both the constituencies.

The PP-206 seat fell vacant on October 23 after the death of PML-N’s disgruntled leader Nishat Khan Daha.

In PP-206, PML-N and PTI candidates have jumped ships as Daha’s wife Naureen is contesting on the ruling party’s ticket. While Chaudhry Muhammad Saleem, who was PTI’s candidate in the 2018 elections, has joined PML-N.

Meanwhile, PPP has fielded Mir Syed Wasiq Sarjees Haider, a PPP loyalist from Khanewal.

On the other hand, the NA-133 fell vacant on October 11 after the death of PML-N Lahore president Pervaiz Malik. The constituency is considered a safe PML-N seat and the party has fielded Shaista Pervaiz Malik, the widow of the former representative of the area.

For now, it seems the PTI may not have a candidate in the constituency as the nomination papers of Jamshed Iqbal Cheema were rejected by the returning officer and the election tribunal. However, he has approached the Lahore High Court with a writ petition on the matter.

Whereas, PPP has given a ticket to Chaudhry Aslam Gill, one of its veteran leaders from Lahore.