The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates who emerged victorious in the February 8 elections are encountering obstacles in submitting their nomination papers for the upcoming by-elections. Hammad Azhar, the acting president and general secretary of PTI Central Punjab, expressed frustration on social media, stating that the Returning Officer (RO) for PP-147 Lahore, Nabil Ahmed Memon, refused to accept his nomination papers, claiming that office hours were over. Despite contacting Election Commission officials, Azhar’s representatives were unable to submit the papers. Another incident highlighted police obstruction of PTI candidates from accessing the RO Office, as seen in a video shared on the party’s official social media account.

Amid these challenges, there were some success stories, such as PTI candidate Hafiz Zeeshan Rasheed managing to submit his nomination papers for PP-149. These incidents echo grievances observed during the nomination process for the February 8 polls, where law enforcement agencies were accused of hindering PTI-aligned independent candidates. PTI has pointed fingers at the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for alleged infractions.

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The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the election schedule for by-elections on national and provincial assembly seats, set for April 21. The filing of nomination papers took place from March 16 to 18, with candidate names published on March 18. The deadline for scrutiny of candidatures is March 21, and appeals can be filed by March 25. The final list of candidates will be published on March 28, with polling scheduled for April 21.

In a related development, PTI has applied for permission to hold a rally in Islamabad on March 23 and 24, with alternative permission requested for March 30 if needed. The party is reportedly planning a long march and sit-in following Eid festivities as part of its ongoing mobilization efforts.