By-elections for Balochistan Assembly seat in PB-1 Quetta today

The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA, Dec 22: By-election for a Balochistan Assembly’s seat from Quetta will be held on Wednesday (today).

Provincial assembly’s seat  PB-I Quetta –I was fallen vacant due to murder of Balochistan’s Education Minister Shafiq Ahmed Khan near his residence in the month of October.

Two candidates including Tahir Mahmood of Pakistan People’s Party and Syed Amanullah Shahdazai of Jamaat-i-Islami are in the field to contest elections.

Tahir Mehmood Khan is brother of slain Education Minister of Shafiq Ahmed Khan.

Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), PML-Q, Pashtoon Khowa Milli Awami Party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazal), Awami National Party and Khilji Qaumi Ittehad have announced support of Tahir Mahmood.

While JUI-Ideological, Jamhoori Watan Party (Talal) Tehrik-i-Insaaf and JWP had withdrawn their candidates in support of JI candidate Amanullah Shahdazai.

It may be mentioned that PPP has twice won the said seat in the past and enjoys a large vote bank in the constituency.

Political observers are of the view that chances of winning of Tahir Mehmood Khan are bright as all important political parties are supporting him. Sources of Provincial Election Commission said that all arrangements in connection with by-election have been completed.

The provincial government has also completed security arrangements for the election and a heavy contingent of police, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Constabulary would be deployed at all polling stations in the constituency.