May 2023 Pakistan by-elections
{{Short description|Pakistani by-elections}}
{{distinguish|2023 Pakistani general election|March 2023 Pakistan by-elections}}
By-elections were to be held for 6 National Assembly constituencies in Pakistan on 28 May 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-09 |title=ECP issues polls schedule for Punjab PA, six NA seats |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2405162/ecp-issues-polls-schedule-for-punjab-pa-six-na-seats?amp=1 |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=The Express Tribune}}
These by-elections were called due to their vacation by Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister and chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. They were supposed to be held in NA-22 Mardan-III, NA-24 Charsadda-II, NA-31 Peshawar-V, NA-108 Faisalabad-VIII, NA-118 Nankana Sahib-II, and NA-239 Karachi Korangi-I.{{Cite web |last=Dawn.com |date=2023-02-24 |title=ECP de-notifies Imran Khan from 6 National Assembly seats |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1738918 |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}
Background
After the removal of Prime Minister Imran Khan through a successful vote of no-confidence, 123 MNAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), along with Imran Khan and several former Ministers, resigned from the National Assembly of Pakistan. Although the Deputy Speaker at the time, Qasim Suri, accepted said resignations, he soon resigned from the National Assembly as well. Newly elected Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf summoned PTI MNAs to individually verify their resignations but no one appeared.{{Cite web |date=2022-04-14 |title=Resignations of 123 PTI MNAs accepted |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2352554/resignations-of-123-pti-mnas-accepted |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Dawn.com |date=2022-04-11 |title=PTI announces mass resignations from National Assembly |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1684501 |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-05-30 |title=Speaker summons 131 PTI MNAs to verify resignations |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2359174/speaker-summons-131-pti-mnas-to-verify-resignations |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}
On 29 July 2022, 11 of these resignations were accepted and nine by-elections were held in October 2022, which the PTI won in a landslide. Khan had won 7 of these 9 seats.{{Cite web |title=Pakistan National Assembly accepts resignation of 11 PTI MNAs |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/pakistan-national-assembly-accepts-resignation-of-11-pti-mnas20220729012908/ |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=ANI News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Desk |first=BR Web |date=2022-10-16 |title=Oct 16 by-polls: PTI wins majority of seats in all three provinces |url=https://www.brecorder.com/news/40203351 |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=Brecorder |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Imran Khan wins NA-45 Kurram by-elections, unofficial results show |url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/449368-imran-khan-leads-na-45-kurram-by-elections-unofficial-results-show |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=www.geo.tv |language=en}}
According to Article 223(2) of the Constitution of Pakistan, a person can not be a member of one House in "respect of more than one seat". If a person is elected to more than one seat, they shall resign all but one of their seats. If they do not resign, all of their seats will become vacant in 30 days except for the one to which they were elected last.
On 19 January 2023, Khan's victory on these 7 seats was notified by the Election Commission of Pakistan. He did not resign any of these seats, and therefore, under Article 223(2) of the Constitution, on 24 February 2023, he was de-notified from 6 of these seats. His notification from NA-45 Kurram-I was not overturned as he was elected to this seat on 30 October 2022 while he was elected to the other 6 seats on 16 October.{{Cite web |last=Dawn.com |date=2023-02-24 |title=ECP de-notifies Imran Khan from 6 National Assembly seats |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1738918 |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}
On 8 March 2023, the ECP issued the schedule for by-elections on these 6 seats, which stated that the polling date would be 30 April 2023, the same day as the 2023 Punjab provincial election.{{Cite web |last=Sadozai |first=Irfan |date=2023-03-08 |title=ECP issues schedule for Punjab elections, 6 vacant NA seats |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1741068 |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} By-elections were suspended by the Peshawar High Court for the three seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, NA-22 Mardan-III, NA-24 Charsadda-II, and NA-31 Peshawar-V.{{Cite web |date=2023-04-14 |title=ECP suspends by-polls schedule for 3 NA seats |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2411917/ecp-suspends-by-polls-schedule-for-3-na-seats?amp=1 |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=The Express Tribune}}
On 10 May 2023, the ECP decided to conduct the elections in the remaining three constituencies on 28 May 2023.{{Cite web |title=ECP - Election Commission of Pakistan |url=https://www.ecp.gov.pk/PrintDocument.aspx?PressId=88676&type=Image |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=www.ecp.gov.pk}} Finally, LHC decided to cancel the polls.https://tribune.com.pk/story/2418354/lhc-stops-by-elections-in-two-na-constituencies
References
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{{Pakistani elections}}
Category:2023 in Pakistani politics