TLP candidates will have to end party affiliation for contesting in polls, says ECP

The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) candidates cannot contest the upcoming by-election under the party's banner, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) stated Wednesday.

The decision from the commission came a few hours after the government banned the religious party following the party's protests all over the country, one that led to the killing of three people, while over 100 police officers were left injured.

It is pertinent to mention here this instruction will be applicable on the NA-249 by-election — scheduled for April 29.

During the general elections 2018, of the 340,000 registered voters, the winner, Vawda, only secured 35,344 votes, the runner-up got 34,625 votes, while TLP bagged 23,981 ballots. MQM-P got only 13,534, and PPP’s Syed Attaullah Subhan got 10,307 votes.

The TLP had nominated Mufti Nazeer Kamalvi as its candidate for the NA-249 by-poll, and after the ban, sources said the candidate will not be able to contest the elections on the "crane" symbol.

"It has been decided to stop the printing of ballot papers till the situation becomes clear; however, the candidate can contest elections independently," sources added.

TLP's ban

In an important development that took place earlier in the day, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed had said the federal government had decided to impose a ban on the TLP under the anti-terrorism law.

"We are forwarding a summary to the federal cabinet to impose a ban on the TLP," Rasheed said in Islamabad, as protests were held across various cities of the country.

Protests by the religious party have caused problems for the masses in major cities across the country for the past two days and have claimed the lives of three people, including two policemen. Nearly 100 policemen have also been injured in clashes with the protesters.