By-polls to be held on all seats if PTI quits: ECP

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said that by-polls would be held on all provincial and national assembly seats if Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) decides to quit all the assemblies, ARY News reported citing ECP sources. 

ECP sources have said that by-polls would be held under constitutional procedure if any seats of the provincial or national assembly are vacated. There is no specific law regarding announcing general elections if a certain number of seats are vacated, they added.

All seats vacated during the five-year constitutional tenure of the assemblies are filled via by-polls, they added. By-polls are not held only if the seat is vacated 4 months or less before the end of the assemblies’ tenure. Any seats vacated before that time period are filled by by-polls, the ECP sources said.

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has announced that his party has decided to quit all the assemblies.

“We will not be part of this country’s political system. We have decided to quit all assemblies,” former premier said while addressing the party workers and supporters at Rawalpindi Jalsa.

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It is pertinent to mention here that the Imran Khan-led party is ruling the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province while they are also in power in Punjab through a coalition with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).