ISLAMABAD: Despite setbacks in the biggest by-polls in the country’s history, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the two main rivals in the contest, made some gains, according to unofficial results.
The PTI lost on both seats vacated by Imran Khan after the May 11 general elections. In NA-1 Peshawar the PTI candidate Gul Badshah lost to Ghulam Ahmad Bilour of the Awami National Party, while in NA-71 Mianwali, the PTI’s Malik Wahid lost to the PML-N’s Obaidullah Shadikhel.
However, in a keenly contested fight in NA-48 Islamabad, the PTI candidate Asad Umar defeated PML-N’s Ashraf Gujjar.In another important contest in PP-247 Rajanpur, the PML-N lost the seat vacated by Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif to the PTI.
In Sindh, the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) won the seats vacated.The ruling PML-N secured five, PPP three, PTI two, while the MQM, PkMAP and ANP bagged one seat each in the National Assembly, according tounofficial results, with the turn-out remaining low compared to the May 11 polls.
The Election Commission asked the concerned returning officers to hold back the result of NA-5 (Nowshera) and NA-27 (Lakki Marwat), where re-polling will be held in nine polling stations each of these constituencies after reports poured in that women voters were barred from casting their votes.
By and large, the by-elections were conducted in a peaceful and smooth manner. At the eleventh hour, polling was postponed in Tank, due to security reasons.As per the unofficial results, the PPP’s Shazia Marri, who made her way to the NA on a reserved seat after the general elections, appeared clearly leading against PML-F’s Khuda Bakhsh Dars from NA-235 (Sanghar/Umerkot).
PML-N’s Muhammad Shafqat Hayat appeared heading for a sure victory in NA-68, PML-N’s Shahid Bhatti in NA-103, Shazia Mubashir of the PML-N in NA-129, Ghulam Noor Rabbani Khar of the PPP in NA-177 against Jamshed Dasti’s brother Javed Khan, PPP’s Shamsunnisa Memon in NA-237, Ali Rashid of the MQM in NA-254 and Abdul Kahar of the PkMAP in NA-262. the PTI made further inroads in Punjab by winning from PP-247 Rajanpur on a seat vacated by Mian Shahbaz Sharif.
Punjab Assembly: PP-51 (Faisalabad-I): Azad Ali of the PML-N was leading with 36,628 votes against Muhammad Ajmal Cheema (PTI) with 19,875 votes. PP-118 (Mandi Bahauddin-III): Akhtar Abbas Bosal of PML-N got 31,305 and Liaqat Ali Ranjha of PTI 17,292 votes. PP-123 (Sialkot-III): Khawaja Muhammad Mansha of the PML-N secured 21,869, and Muhammad Dawood Khan of PTI 6,979 votes. PP-142 (Lahore-VI): Khawaja Salman Rafiq of PML-N received 14,513 votes followed by Waqar Ahmed of PTI with 3,683 votes.
PP-150 (Lahore-XIV): Mehr Wajid Azeem of the PTI got 10,302 while the PML-N’s Mian Marghoob Ahmed got 8,299 votes. PP-193 (Okara-IX): Khurram Jehangir Wattoo of the PPP secured 41,426 votes while Noor-ul-Amin Wattoo of the PML-N secured 25,459 votes. PP-210 (Lodhran-IV): M Zubair Khan (PML-N) got 36,778, and Syed Khursheed Khan (PTI) came second at 12,206. PP-217 (Khanewal-VI): Rana Babar (PML-N) won 49,469 votes, while Maqsood Alam (PTI) received 22,832.
PP-243 (DG Khan-IV): Ali Khan (PTI) 22,493, and Sardar Ahsamuddin (PML-N) 18,635. PP-247 (Rajanpur-I): Ali Raza (PTI) got 45,594 votes, while Abdul Qadir Khan (PML-N) received 34,597.
PP-254 (Muzaffargarh-IV): Hamid Nawaz (PML-N) 7,482, Irshad Ahmed Khan (PPP) 6,517.
PP-289 (RY Khan-V): Raees Mahmood (PML-N) 28,611, Mian Muhammad Aslam Advocate (PPP) 23,270.
PP-292 (R Khan-VIII): Makhdoom Syed Ali Akbar (PPP) 42,207, Maulvi Tariq Chohan (PML-N) 30,964.
Sindh Assembly: PS-12 (Shikarpur-II): Abid Hussain (PPP) got 13,187 and was leading against Amir Ali Jatoi (Independent). (Mirpurkhas-I): Abdul Syed Qureshi of the PPP had got 15,102 votes while Dr Zafar Kamali (MQM) had received 14,868 votes till the filing of this report in a very close contest. PS-95 (Karachi-VII): Muhammad Hussain Khan of the MQM got 47,274 votes against Muhammad Jameel Zia of the PPP with 1,254 votes. PS-103 (Karachi-XV): Muhammad Abdul Rauf Siddiqui of the MQM got 24,938 votes, while Sultan Ahmed of the PTI was runner up with 2,684 votes.
KP Assembly: PK-23 (Mardan-I): Ahmed Khan (ANP) got 13,077 votes, while Syed Umer Farooq (PTI) got 12,005 votes. PK-42 (Hangu-I): Shah Faisal Khan (Independent) 34,932, Syed Hasni (Independent) 12,909.
PK-70 (Bannu-I): Azam Khan Durrani (JUI-F) 23,501, Malik Adnan Khan of PTI 19,531 votes.
Tauseef-ur-Rahman adds from Peshawar: Though the PTI faced defeat in the important NA-1 Peshawar, it retained NA-13 Swabi-II and was leading on NA-5 Nowshera-1 and NA-27 Lakki Marwat as the by-elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa passed in a peaceful manner.
In NA-1, Ghulam Ahmad Bilour of the Awami National Party (ANP) secured 37,710 votes against 25,930 votes of Gul Badshah of the PTI.
NA-13 Swabi II: Aqibullah Khan, brother of Asad Qaiser, Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and provincial president of PTI, won the seat. According to unofficial results Aqibullah got 44,328 votes while Maulana Attaul Haq Darweesh of the JUI-F secured 32,831 votes.
Mardan: On Pk-23 Mardan-I Ahmad Bahadar Khan of ANP won the elections with a narrow margin of 412 votes. He defeated Omar Farooq Khan of the PTI. Ahmad Bahadar secured 13,606 votes while Omar Farooq obtained 12,869 votes.
PK-27 Mardan-V: Jamshed Mohmand, an independent candidate and brother of slain MPA Imran Mohmand, won the election. According to unofficial results, Jamshed Mohmand secured 37,133 votes while Fazl Rabbani of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) got 10,177 votes.
PK-40 Hangu: Shah Faisal, brother of slain MPA Farid Khan was declared winner by securing 38,695 votes. His opponent Syed Zakir Hussain, who was also an independent candidate, obtained 12,522 votes.
PK-80 Bannu: Azam Durrani of the JUI-F won the election by securing 23,529 votes. His opponent Malik Adnan Wazir of the PTI got 19,504 votes.
NA-5 Nowshera: Dr Imran Khattak, son-in-law of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Parvez Khattak, was leading with 47,821 votes. His opponent Daud Khan Khattak of the ANP secured 27,341 votes, according to unofficial results from 236 polling stations.
NA-27 Lakki Marwat: On the directives of the Peshawar High Court, the Election Commission announced re-polling on nine women polling stations. The decision was taken due to low polling turnout at women’s polling stations. Till the filing of this report, according to unofficial results, Col (retd) Ameerullah of the PTI had secured 29,559 votes while his opponent Attaur Rahman, brother of Maulana Fazlur Rehman of the JUI-F, had got 21,768 votes.
