Preparations for PPP rally in Badabher, Peshawar. Photo: Geo News 

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will address a rally in Peshawar today ahead of Thursday's by-election on the city's NA-4 constituency. 

Reports said the PPP chief will arrive in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa capital around 1pm and proceed to Badabher, on the city's outskirts, in a procession. 

The party?s provincial president, Humayun Khan, and senior local leadership will accompany Bilawal.  

All eyes on NA-4

The by-election, due on October 26, is being seen as a litmus test for the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) popularity in the province, especially with regards to the general elections next year. 

ECP sets October 26 for by-poll on Peshawar's NA-4

The seat fell vacant after death of PTI MNA Gulzar Khan

The seat had fallen vacant when the incumbent lawmaker, PTI's Gulzar Khan, passed away on August 28 this year. Khan had become estranged with the party leadership over differences on several issues but was still a PTI member.

The constituency consists of suburban areas of Peshawar, including Badabher, Chamkani, Matni, Adezai, Ahmadkhel, Bazidkhel and Koh Damaan.

In the 2013 polls, the PTI candidate had secured 55,134 votes while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) Nasir Musazi had obtained 20,412 votes. Moreover, Jamaat-e-Islami's (JI) Sabir Awan had garnered 16,493 votes while Awami National Party?s (ANP) candidate Arbab Ayub Jan had received 15,795 votes. After them, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) candidate, Arbab Kamal, had secured 12,519 votes followed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate, Misbahud­din, who got over 12,000 votes.

At present, the PML-N has again given the ticket to last time's runner-up, Musazai, who is being supported by the JUI-F and the Qaumi Watan Party.

Electronic voting machines to be used in NA-4 Peshawar by-election

ECP has also decided to use mobile phones to transfer results from polling stations to the returning officer

Meanwhile, the PTI is fielding Arbab Amir Ayub; the PPP Asad Gulzar, late incumbent Gulzar Khan?s son; the ANP Khushdil Khan, former deputy speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and the JI, Wisal Farooq. 

Moreover, the newly formed but unregistered religious-political party, Milli Muslim League (MML), is supporting independent candidate Haji Liaquat Ali Khan in the race. 

The MML's candidate in the NA-120 by-election in Lahore last month, who contested elections as an independent since the ECP does not recognise the party on the directions of the Interior Ministry, had gained over 5,800 votes, surpassing the PPP and JI candidates. 

JUI-F announces support for PML-N candidate for NA-4 by-poll

The seat had fell vacant after incumbent lawmaker Gulzar Khan, from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), passed away due to a heart ailment

The MML, an offshoot of the Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaatud Dawa,  is yet to be recognised by the ECP on the directions of the Interior Ministry, which states that the intelligence agencies and Foreign Ministry have advised agianst the move. 

Electronic voting machines 

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), for the first time in the country, will be using electronic voting machines (EVMs) during the by-election.

As many as 269 polling stations would be established for the by-poll. Of them, the EVMs would be used in over 100 polling booths of 35 polling stations in both urban and rural areas of the constituency.

Around 47,255 voters are expected to cast their votes through the EVMs along with the manual voting process.