Verified Insights PK | Lahore | September 4, 2025

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that Pakistan Punjab by-elections 2025 will not take place as planned. the reason is flooding that has hit the province. The floods have destroyed large parts of the province. That is making it impossible to hold safe and fair elections at this time.

According to the ECP, roads, bridges, railway lines, electricity poles, and mobile phone towers have been badly damaged or washed away. Many government schools and buildings, which were supposed to be used as polling stations, have also been affected. Some of these buildings are now being used as shelters for flood victims or as storage places for relief goods.

District Returning Officers (DROs) informed the ECP that polling staff are not available. Most of them are government workers who are already busy helping with rescue and relief efforts in flood-hit areas. The ECP said it even considered bringing staff from nearby districts, but the disaster is so widespread that this was not possible.

Election Commision of Pakistan

In its official statement, the ECP said: “The ongoing rescue and relief operations have stretched the civil administration and law enforcement agencies to their limits. Polling staff are unavailable because they are fully engaged in relief work.”

The ECP also stressed that, under the Constitution, elections must be conducted in a safe, fair, and transparent manner. If polling were to go ahead during this crisis, many voters would not be able to participate. And the overall security of the election would be at risk.

The postponed Pakistan by-elections 2025 were scheduled in the following constituencies:

• National Assembly seats: NA-66 Wazirabad, NA-96 Faisalabad, NA-129 Lahore, NA-143 Sahiwal

• Provincial Assembly seats: PP-73 Sargodha, PP-87 Mianwali, PP-98 Faisalabad, PP-203 Sahiwal

The Punjab government had also requested the postponement, saying that civil administration is fully occupied with managing the flood emergency and cannot handle election duties at the same time.

The ECP concluded: “The decision to postpone the elections is in the public interest. Polling will resume once the flood situation improves. So that elections can be held with proper security and maximum voter participation.”

This is one of the most significant election delays in Pakistan in recent years. It also shows how natural disasters like floods continue to disrupt governance and challenge the country’s democratic processes.