Punjab Set for High-Stakes By-Elections Tomorrow Amid Tight Race in Lahore’s NA-129

Punjab Set for High-Stakes By-Elections Tomorrow Amid Tight Race in Lahore’s NA-129
Ali Imran Chattha Lahore, Pakistan(Nazrana Times)

Punjab will head into by-elections across twelve constituencies on Sunday, with Lahore’s NA-129 emerging as one of the most competitive and closely watched contests. A total of 558,364 voters are registered in the constituency, and election materials have been handed over to returning officers ahead of polling day.
The by-polls include seats for both the National Assembly and Punjab Assembly. In NA-129, the voter list features 269,025 women and 289,339 men, with 17 candidates contesting the seat. A fierce three-way battle is expected between PML-N’s Hafiz Muhammad Nauman, independent candidate Bajash Khan Niazi, and Arsalan Ahmed.
Authorities have established 334 polling stations, comprising 133 for men, 131 for women, and 70 joint polling stations. The seat became vacant following the death of Mian Azhar.
Punjab Police say security arrangements for the by-elections have been fully finalised. More than 20,000 police officers and personnel will be deployed to provide a safe voting environment across the province. Security will cover 939 male, 889 female, and 964 joint polling stations.
Out of the 2,792 polling stations set up across Punjab, 408 have been declared highly sensitive and 1,032 sensitive. CCTV cameras have been installed at all highly sensitive locations to ensure uninterrupted monitoring throughout the day.
Authorities say all measures aim to ensure that voters can exercise their democratic rights in a peaceful and secure atmosphere.