The material was earlier given to presiding officers by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Hammad Azhar took to social media platform X to raise a "serious violation of the electoral process," stating that his party was receiving reports from presiding officers that multiple Form 45s were missing from the election materials for the by-election. This NA-129 seat became vacant in July following the death of Hammad Azhar’s father, Mian Azhar.
Prior to this major alert, the PTI leader had issued "important instructions" to the party’s polling agents. He stressed that when the election material bags are opened on polling morning, agents must ensure that both Form 45 (the final result sheet) and Form 46 are blank and are shown to them. Azhar emphasized that the polling boxes must never be out of sight at any moment, highlighting the importance of the agents’ presence during both polling and counting.
He also asserted that it is the agent’s right to obtain the filled Form 45 and warned that any staff obstructing this would face strict legal punishment. After polling ends, Azhar directed all PTI workers outside polling stations to peacefully follow the presiding officer to the Returning Officer’s (RO) office.
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In a separate message, Hammad Azhar warned the presiding officers and polling staff against indulging in any "illegal act." He alleged that they were being "frightened and threatened" by individuals who he claimed were "finding immunity for themselves, buying property abroad and moving their families there."
He contended that these elements would push the staff into "unconstitutional actions and flee themselves," urging staff to be careful and fulfill their duty. The PTI has openly accused the PML-N’s Punjab government of using rigging tactics to support its candidate in the NA-129 by-poll.
The by-poll is a contest between Mian Azhar’s nephew, Chaudhry Arsalan Ahmad, contesting as an independent on the "geyser" symbol, and PML-N’s Hafiz Mian Nauman. Nauman was defeated by Mian Azhar by over 30,000 votes in the 2024 elections. PTI has previously raised concerns over the appointment of Lesco officials—including those who served under Nauman as Lesco Board Chairman—as presiding officers.
Lesco CEO Ramzan Butt, however, rebutted the claim, saying the appointments were solely the ECP’s decision. Earlier, video footage showed local police officials removing banners of the PTI-backed candidate.
The controversy surrounding the missing Form 45s, coupled with earlier allegations of official bias and banner removal, escalates political tensions and raises serious questions about the fairness and transparency of the electoral process in NA-129. The PTI’s alarm appears intended to put both the ECP and polling staff on high alert for potential manipulation.
