Balochistan Govt Opposes Khuzdar By-Elections Over Security Concerns
*ISLAMABAD:* The Balochistan government has informed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that conducting by-elections in NA-256 Khuzdar is currently not feasible due to the worsening law and order situation in the district.
During a meeting with ECP officials on Wednesday, the Balochistan chief secretary and inspector general of police briefed the commission on the security challenges facing the constituency.
According to officials, the presence of militants, ongoing tribal disputes, and the deployment of police and law enforcement personnel from other districts have created serious obstacles to holding the polls.
The provincial administration further stated that the constituency consists largely of mountainous terrain and that the overall security environment remains unstable, making it difficult to ensure complete protection for election staff and voters.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, who chaired the meeting, said the ECP was constitutionally bound to conduct the by-election and would take an appropriate decision after reviewing the latest security assessment.
The ECP maintained that it was ready to hold the by-election and had requested an updated report from the provincial administration before proceeding further.
The NA-256 Khuzdar seat fell vacant after Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal resigned from the National Assembly in September 2024.
In his resignation letter, Mengal stated that Balochistan had been consistently ignored and marginalized, adding that the absence of genuine representation prevented him from bringing meaningful change to the province.
The ECP accepted his resignation in February 2026 and announced the by-election schedule on February 13. However, the commission suspended the election schedule on March 27 at the request of the provincial government due to deteriorating security conditions.