The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has released the schedule for by-elections in three constituencies — NA-143 Sahiwal, NA-185 Dera Ghazi Khan, and PP-203 Punjab Assembly. Polling for all seats will be held on October 5, 2025.

Key dates for nomination process

According to the official schedule, the returning officers will issue public notices on August 26. Candidates may submit their nomination papers from August 28 to 30, with the initial list of candidates being published on August 30.

The scrutiny of nomination papers will be completed by September 3. Any appeals regarding the acceptance or rejection of papers can be filed until September 8, with final decisions to be announced by September 12.

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Candidates will then be allowed to withdraw their nomination papers on September 15, while the final list of contesting candidates will be released on September 16.

Background of vacant seats

The by-elections were announced after the seats fell vacant due to the disqualification of MNAs Rai Hassan Nawaz and Zartaj Gul and MPA Rai Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal by the Anti-Terrorism Court of Faisalabad.

Earlier this month, the ECP disqualified Senate Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz and National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, along with seven other PTI lawmakers.

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According to an official ECP notification issued on August 5, the disqualifications follow orders from the ATC Faisalabad, which handed down convictions in three separate cases.

The lawmakers were disqualified under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution, which bars individuals convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude from remaining members of parliament. The following parliamentarians were disqualified and de-notified:

Senator Syed Shibli Faraz (Opposition Leader, Senate)
Omar Ayub Khan, MNA, NA-18 Haripur (Opposition Leader, National Assembly)
Rai Haider Ali Khan, MNA, NA-96 Faisalabad-II
Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza, MNA, NA-104 Faisalabad-X
Rai Hassan Nawaz Khan, MNA, NA-143 Sahiwal-II
Zartaj Gul, MNA, NA-185 D.G Khan-II
Muhammad Ansar Iqbal, MPA, PP-73 Sargodha-II
Junaid Afzal Sahi, MPA, PP-98 Faisalabad-I
Rai Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal, MPA, PP-203 Sahiwal-VI

As a result, all nine lost their seats in the National Assembly, Senate, and provincial assemblies.

Polling day

The ECP confirmed that polling in NA-143, NA-185, and PP-203 will be conducted on October 5. Preparations for the electoral process, including arrangements for transparent voting, are already underway.