By-election in Umerkot on Jan 18 - a year after seat fell vacant.

ISLAMABAD -- As the year 2020 heads to a close without any by-poll for a national or provincial assembly seat taking place, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday announced schedule for the first by-election of 2021.

Under the schedule issued a day after the ECP's decision to immediately hold all pending by-elections across the country, by-election for the Sindh Assembly's seat from PS-52 Umerkot will take place on Jan 18 - a year after the seat fell vacant.

The delay in conduct of by-polls in Umerkot and seven other constituencies of national and provincial assemblies is a clear violation of the constitution.

Article 224(4) of the Constitution reads: 'When, except by dissolution of the National Assembly or a Provincial Assembly, a seat in any such Assembly has become vacant not later than one hundred and twenty days before the term of that Assembly is due to expire, an election to fill the seat shall be held within sixty days from the occurrence of the vacancy'.

By-elections are due in as many as eight national and provincial assembly constituencies and the constitutional limit of 60 days has already passed in seven of them.

The ECP on Friday made public notifications for appointment of polling officials for by-polls in rest of the seven constituencies, but did not issue schedule for the by-elections. Informed sources said the schedule was likely to be issued early next week.

Three of the six provincial assembly constituencies awaiting by-polls are in Sindh and one each in three other provinces, while elections are also due in two National Assembly constituencies.

The Sindh Assembly seat from PS-52 Umerkot had fallen vacant on Jan 19 following the death of PPP MPA Ali Mardan Shah.

Schedule for by-election for the seat was announced on Feb 12, setting March 17 as the polling day, but a revised notification was issued next day, fixing April 15 as new date for the by-poll.

On March 24, the ECP put off the by-election indefinitely on account of measures being taken by the Sindh government against spread of coronavirus.

The notification pointed out that all the provincial...