FAFEN finds Punjab by-polls 'orderly, well-managed'

LAHORE: The by-elections in 20 Punjab Assembly constituencies has remained largely orderly and well-managed, the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) said in a preliminary report released on Tuesday.

In its report, FAFEN termed the Punjab by-elections as one of the “most hotly contested polls in recent times.” The non-profit NGO said it monitored the most consequential by-elections in Pakistan by deploying 203 election-day observers.

About the electoral process, FAFEN said: “The election day remained largely orderly and well-managed, though reports of isolated incidents of brawls and fights, some of them overplayed by media, particularly the social media, tainted the perception of quality of electoral exercise.”

The NGO also noted that in most constituencies the election was a “two-party contest” except in two of the constituencies, PP-83 Khushab-II and PP-228 Lodhran-V where PTI fought against independent candidates.

It also praised the Election Commission of Pakistan for “ensuring appreciable improvements in polling, counting, and result-management processes, particularly by making sure that preliminary results of all constituencies, except for the one in Rawalpindi (PP-7), were promptly released”.

FAFEN further said that the ECP’s enforcement remained weak for curtailing the campaigning on election day through electronic media and social media primarily due to inadequate legal and regulatory provisions.

“ECP’s instructions to media on election coverage were largely circumvented, with political leaders from contesting parties canvassing for votes in their media appearances on election day,” it added.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) emerged victorious on 15 of the 20 seats, which were vacated after its members were disqualified for voting against their party’s directions in the election for the Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab.