Vote counting has begun as polling concluded for by-elections in six National Assembly and seven Punjab Assembly seats. Voting began at 8 am and continued without interruption until 5 pm.
Tight security arrangements have been implemented for the elections in accordance with Election Commission directives, with additional personnel deployed at sensitive locations. Special provisions have been made for the convenience of voters, including the elderly and women.
A total of 2,792 polling stations were established for the by-elections, with 408 designated as highly sensitive and 1,032 marked as sensitive. Over 20,000 security personnel were deployed to maintain law and order situation. Mobile phones were not permitted inside polling stations to ensure a secure and orderly voting process.
According to officials, all polling stations have walk-through gates and separate booths for women. Special ramps and staff have been arranged to assist the elderly and differently-abled citizens, facilitating smooth voting.
The Punjab government has deployed teams from the “Clean Punjab” initiative to manage sanitation at polling stations.
Control rooms were established by the Election Commission in Islamabad and the Punjab Election Commission to monitor the elections in real time, coordinating security and addressing any operational issues.Local representatives also expressed satisfaction with the arrangements.
Read More: PML-N eyes big win in by-polls today
Polling took place in 13 constituencies, including NA-18 Haripur, NA-96 Faisalabad-II, NA-104 Faisalabad-X, NA-143 Sahiwal-III, NA-185 D.G. Khan-II, NA-129 Lahore-XIII, PP-73 Sargodha-III, PP-98 Faisalabad-I, PP-115 Faisalabad-XVIII, PP-116 Faisalabad-XIX, PP-203 Sahiwal-VI, PP-269 Muzaffargarh-II, and PP-87 Mianwali-III.
These seats became vacant primarily due to the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers convicted in cases linked to the May 9, 2023, riots that erupted following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Low voter turnout
Turnout in the NA-18 Haripur by-election remained extremely low, with candidates failing to bring voters to the polling stations. Polling stations wore a deserted look, and staff were seen waiting for voters to arrive.
With two hours remaining before the close of polling, the situation remained unchanged, and voter turnout appeared to be very low. At the Bank Colony polling booth, only 23 votes had been cast out of 1,036 registered female voters.
A female voter expressed frustration at the polling arrangements, saying, “Polling booths have been deliberately placed far away. I had to come all the way to Bank Colony from my residence in Choburji to cast my vote.”
Bilawal urged people to come out of their homes
Chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, in a post on the social media platform X, urged people to come out of their homes and use their right to vote. “Two by-elections are being held today in southern Punjab,” Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said.
“Our candidate from PP-269 Muzaffargarh is Mian Almdar Qureshi,” he said. “From NA-185 Dera Ghazi Khan, Dost Muhammad Khosa is the Pakistan Peoples Party candidate,” he added.
“I appeal to the people of Muzaffargarh and Dera Ghazi Khan to come out, vote, and raise their voice,” Bilawal urged. He instructed party workers to remember that they must not leave the polling station without obtaining Form-45.
PTI alleges disruptions and rigging
Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader, Moin Riaz Qureshi, visited several polling stations in NA-129 during the by-election on Sunday.
“99 per cent of our camps have been dismantled, and our voters and supporters are sitting at polling stations on chairs they have brought from home.”
Qureshi alleged that workers had been detained and that “police high-handedness has reached its peak”. He added that party volunteers had set up makeshift camps using tables and chairs from their homes.
He claimed that the party’s transport vehicles had been impounded by different police stations ahead of the election. “Fourteen of our workers are under arrest at Shadherah Police Station,” he said. Qureshi further alleged that all their camps at Samanabad’s Dungi Ground had been removed.
Chaudhry Arsalan, an independent candidate backed by PTI contesting in NA-129 in Lahore, visited polling stations today. “Complaints are coming in from various polling stations,” Chaudhry Arsalan said.
PTI’s Hammad Azhar has accused the Punjab police of reportedly disrupting a PTI camp at Pak Angel School in UC-100, NA-129. He added that party workers have started efforts to restore the camp.
Police have reportedly restricted media coverage at polling stations in NA-129 in Lahore, prohibiting the use of cameras and mobile phones.
ہر پولنگ اسٹیشن سے اطلاع آ رہی ہے کے جتنے بیلٹ پیپر کی کتابیں پرازائڈنگ افسر کو ایشو ہوئی ہیں وہ زیادہ ہیں اور موقع پر کم برامد ہو رہی ہیں۔ pic.twitter.com/RnPHStmi4W
— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) November 23, 2025
“Our camps are being raided, and polling agents have been detained. I will personally visit the polling stations shortly,” he added. “Our voters have come out, and victory will be ours,” Chaudhry Arsalan said.
Meanwhile, PTI-backed MPA Mun Javed alleged rigging. “At most polling stations in the constituency, our people are being stopped. Complaints are coming in from everywhere, and we are visiting the sites,” he said. “When we go to inspect, they evade us. We will guard our votes everywhere,” Mun Javed added.
PP-269 Muzaffargarh scuffle
Voting at the Karamdad polling station in PP-269 Muzaffargarh was temporarily suspended due to a dispute between two groups. Law enforcement authorities confirmed that polling was resumed later.
A day earlier, PTI’s Hammad Azhar claimed that Form 45s were “missing” from the election material handed to presiding officers by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ahead of today’s by-election in Lahore’s NA-129 constituency.
“We are receiving reports that multiple presiding officers are missing Form 45s in the election materials they have received from ECP (Election Commission of Pakistan) for the by-elections of tomorrow. This is a serious violation of the electoral process,” he claimed in a post on X.
The interior ministry has approved the deployment of the Pakistan Army and civil armed forces for security in all 13 national and provincial assembly constituencies, where by-elections are being held. A notification issued by the interior ministry said the approval followed requests from the ECP.
The civil armed forces will be deployed as “second-tier responders (standby/quick reaction),” whereas the troops of the Pakistan Army will serve as “third-tier responders (quick reaction force)” from Friday through Nov 24 (Monday).
Also read: Mianwali gears up for PP-87 by-polls
Meanwhile, the ECP on Saturday barred media outlets from broadcasting unofficial results of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab by-elections until one hour after the close of polls.
The commission directed that only Returning Officers are authorised to announce official results, warning that premature reporting could mislead the public.
It further stated that media organisations must not air or publish unofficial results until at least one hour after the close of polling, and any results released thereafter must be clearly marked as unofficial and incomplete.
The ECP cautioned that violations of these instructions would be referred to the relevant authorities for disciplinary action. It reiterated that the final and official result of any constituency will only be issued by the concerned ROs.
With additional reporting by Waqas Ahmad and Bilal Ghauri
