Polling Ends In Bahawalpur NA-168 By-Election

“Polling in Bahawalpur's NA-168 by-election ended after a largely peaceful day, with officials reporting only a brief disturbance at one polling station.”

— Editorial Team

Key points

Polling in Bahawalpur's NA-168 by-election ended after a largely peaceful day, with officials reporting only a brief disturbance at one polling station.
The closely watched contest now moves to vote counting, with the seat being contested by the sons of two prominent political figures.

Politics|By Editorial Team|Published 27-Sep-26|Latest update 9/27/2026, 1:34:00 PM|2 min read

Voting has concluded in the NA-168 Bahawalpur by-election, with election authorities reporting that polling across the constituency was largely peaceful. The contest was held on Sunday after the seat became vacant following the death of Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar in August.

The main contest was between PML-N candidate Malik Munir Iqbal Channar, the late lawmaker's son, and independent candidate Wali Dad Cheema. Cheema is the son of former federal minister Tariq Bashir Cheema, making the race one of the closely watched political contests in southern Punjab.

Polling began at 8am and officially ended at 5pm. Voters who had entered polling-station premises before the closing time were allowed to cast their ballots afterward, in line with the procedure announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Provincial election authorities said the overall process remained calm, although routine complaints were received. A brief disruption was reported at a polling station in Akhtarabad after a confrontation between voters, following allegations that political workers had harassed election staff.

Election officials said the relevant district and returning officers, supported by police, intervened to restore order. Polling then continued normally at the station, with no broader disruption reported across the constituency.

The constituency has 483,143 registered voters, including 248,259 men and 234,614 women. Voting was held at 292 polling stations, where presiding officers and other polling staff had been assigned to manage the exercise.

Security arrangements had been strengthened ahead of the by-election. Punjab authorities had sought the deployment of army troops and Rangers to support the peaceful conduct of polling, while the campaign period had also seen an armed clash between supporters of rival candidates earlier this month.

The focus now shifts to the count and the official result. The outcome will decide who represents the Bahawalpur constituency in the National Assembly and will be closely followed for its implications for party strength in the region.