Voting in the PP-139 Sheikhupura-IV by-election began Thursday morning at 8:00 am and will continue until 5:00 pm without interruption. The Sheikhupura district is observing a public holiday in observance of the election process.
The by-election was triggered by the death of Rana Afzaal Hussain, 77, on August 26, 2024. Hussain, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate, had won the seat in the April 2024 by-election, defeating PTI-backed Ijaz Hussain.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has completed all necessary preparations to ensure a smooth election, setting up 124 polling stations for 193,000 registered voters. Sheikhupura Deputy Commissioner Shahid Imran Marth is serving as the district returning officer, with Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Usman Jalees acting as returning officer. Assistant Commissioner Adeel Khan and Deputy District Education Officer Rana Bakhtiar Ahmad are designated assistant returning officers.
The election is expected to be a close race between PML-N’s Rana Tahir Iqbal, PTI-backed Ejaz Hussain Bhatti (representing the Sunni Ittehad Council), and Farooq-ul-Hassan of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
