CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja thanks Punjab, KP govts for support in peaceful by-elections
Pakistan
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja said Sunday’s by-elections were peaceful and concluded smoothly, noting that low voter turnout is common and influenced by multiple factors
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja said that the by-elections held on Sunday were peaceful and the voting process concluded smoothly.
Speaking to media at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) office, he said that there were several reasons for low voter turnout.
He also thanked the governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for their support in ensuring smooth polling.
He added that voter interest was relatively low in today’s by-polls because there was no significant change in the “numbers game,” referring to the contesting candidates and political dynamics.
He said that District Returning Officers (DROs) had submitted reports and that the commission itself had taken notice of certain complaints.
Vote counting underway as polling ends in by-elections for 13 NA, Punjab Assembly seats
However, he emphasised that no unusual or serious complaints had been reported during today’s by-elections.
He also mentioned that PML-N minister Talal Chaudhry has been summoned for a hearing tomorrow over violating ECP’s code of conduct in Faisalabad.
Raja highlighted that in local government elections, the commission had disqualified a minister and a candidate for violating the code of conduct, stressing that legal frameworks guide all electoral decisions.
He added that while election violations occur worldwide, the Election Commission sends recommendations to the government for improvements.
