PTI retakes six NA seats, coalition parties win two

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) reclaimed its six National Assembly seats while the ruling coalition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) candidates won two seats in by-elections on Sunday, according to unofficial results.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan won six out of seven National Assembly (NA) seats, while his party’s candidates also won two Punjab Assembly seats in by-elections. He was contesting from seven NA constituencies and won the by-polls in Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Faisalabad, Nankana Sahib and one seat in Karachi, after beating the ruling coalition’s candidates. However, he faced defeat at the hands of PPP’s Hakeem Baloch at the other NA seat in Karachi, as unofficial results of eight National Assembly, and three Punjab Assembly constituencies poured in.

These seats were vacated when the National Assembly speaker accepted resignations of nine PTI MNAs, who had tendered resignations en masse as the party policy.

It was a bad day for most Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties’ candidates as the PMLN contestants faced defeat in Faisalabad and Nankana Sahib, Awami National Party (ANP) candidates in Peshawar and Charsadda, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUIF) candidate in Mardan, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQMP) candidate on one seat in Karachi.

Imran Khan lost one seat to PPP candidate in Karachi, and the other NA seat was lost by PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s daughter Meharbano Qureshi to PPP’s Musa Gilani, a son of PPP leader Yusuf Raza Gilani, in Multan. Musa Gilani secured 107,327 votes against Meharbano Qureshi, who secured 82,141 votes. The PPP candidate defeated the PTI’s with a margin of almost 25,000 votes.

According to unofficial results, Imran Khan won by-polls in all three constituencies in KP. He defeated Maulana Muhammad Qasim of JUIF in NA-22 Mardan, provincial president of the Awami National Party Aimal Wali Khan in NA-24 Charsadda and ANP veteran Ghulam Ahmad Bilour in NA-31 Peshawar. He is to retain one of the seats he has won across the country while by-polls would be held again on the remaining seats.

Imran secured an easy win in Peshawar where Ghulam Ahmad Bilour was the runner-up. A total of eight candidates were in the run. The former PM received 57, 824 votes against 32,253 of Ghulam Ahmad Bilour. The turn-out remained 20.28 per cent. PTI MNA Shaukat Ali had vacated the seat.

Firework and festive firing started in Gulbahar and other areas of the provincial capital when PTI got a decisive lead during the counting in NA-31. Police officials said 12 people were arrested for jubilant firing.

In NA-22 Mardan, Maulana Qasim lost to the PTI chief. There were a total of four candidates in the run for the slot. Imran Khan got 76,681 votes in NA-22 Mardan after unofficial result of all the 330 polling stations were announced. Maulana Qasim got 68,181 votes. The turn-out remained 32.94 per cent. Maulana Qasim had lost the seat to Ali Muhammad Khan of PTI in 2018 general elections.

Four candidates were in the run for the NA-24 Charsadda by-election. Imran Khan got 78,589 votes while provincial president of the ANP Aimal Wali got 68,356 votes. The turn-out remained 29.02 per cent. Fazal Muhammad Khan of the PTI had vacated the seat by tendering resignation.

Imran Khan also emerged victorious in NA-108 Faisalabad clash as he secured 99,602 votes and defeated PMLN’s Abid Sher Ali, who got 75,131votes, as per unofficial results. Khan’s victory margin was more than 24,471 votes. The former prime minister also claimed victory on the NA-118 Nankana Sahib-II seat with 90,180 votes, according to unofficial results. He defeated PMLN’s Shezra Mansab Ali by a little over 12,000 votes. Shezra obtained 78,024 votes.

In NA-239 Karachi Korangi, Imran Khan secured 50,014 votes and defeated Syed Nayyar Raza of MQMP, who secured just 18,116. It was a humiliating defeat for the MQMP, as Imran Khan’s victory margin was almost 32,000 votes. In this constituency, TLP candidate Muhammad Yaseen bagged 7,953, and the PPP candidate 4,506 votes. A total of 22 candidates were contesting by-election from NA-239.

However, PPP’s Abdul Hakeem Baloch defeated the PTI chairman by obtaining 32,567 votes in the by-election on the NA-237 Malir-II Karachi seat, according to unofficial results. With nearly 10,000 votes less than Baloch, Khan bagged 22,493 in the constituency — which was claimed by PTI during the 2018 general elections.

Celebrating the victory, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari congratulated the winning candidates of his party. He tweeted, “Karachi & Multan, bye-bye PTI! Congratulations to brother Syed Musa Gilani and Hakeem Baloch for defeating Imran Khan of the PTI from seats he had stolen in 2018 election.”

Elections in NA-45 Kurram were postponed due to the law and order situation. All the 979 polling stations were declared sensitive and most sensitive for the by-elections due to the tension and overall law and order.

The PTI candidates for Punjab Assembly seats also produced good results for the party by winning Khanewal and Bahawalnagar seats. The only seat the PMLN could win in the by-elections was the Sharaqpur Punjab Assembly seat.

PTI’s Muhammad Faisal Khan Niazi secured 71,156 votes in PP-209 Khanewal and defeated Chaudhry Ziaur Rehman of the PMLN, who could secure 57,603 votes. In PP-241 Bahawalnagar-IV, Malik Muhammad Muzaffar Khan of the PTI won the seat by securing 59,957 votes. He defeated Amanullah Sattar of the PMLN, who bagged 48,147.

PMLN’s Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed Bhangoo bagged the PP-139 Sheikhupura seat. He secured 40,829 votes and defeated PTI’s Muhammad Abu Bakr, who bagged 37,712 votes as the runner-up.

Various political leaders expressed their views on the by-poll election results. PPP leader and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira said that Imran Khan had made the whole by-election a mockery. For him, the election had no meaning as he was contesting just to ridicule the electoral process, he added. The result of by-election would not have any impact on the date of the next general election. General elections would be held on time, he said.

Atta Tarar, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, claimed that people did not support Imran Khan’s narrative in the by-polls. Addressing a press conference, he said the PTI voters had understood Imran Khan’s hypocrisy. He regretted that Imran Khan wasted nation’s wealth, as he had no plans to sit in the parliament and play his role in solving people’s problems;

Senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said by-election results proved Imran Khan was the centre of hopes of the nation. In a tweet, he urged the establishment to respect the public mandate and immediately hold fresh elections. He said his party was ready for talks with the government on an election framework.

Dr Shahbaz Gill predicted that general elections would be announced in a few days after the results of by-elections. In a Twitter message, he said the country was heading towards the general elections after the by-poll results. The nation has unanimously voiced its decision on not accepting slavery at any cost. Pakistanis want to make their own decisions and the nation has given its decision today.”

PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar said Imran Khan would not return to the National Assembly after winning the by-elections. Talking to journalists, he said: “Today’s election was a referendum. Imran Khan will not return to the assembly after winning and he will also not take the oath.”

The former federal minister said the party chairman had directed all workers to observe “Youm-e-Tashakur” (thanksgiving day). Former minister Hammad Azhar said 13 parties had failed to defeat the PTI. “The PTI bagged almost double votes than the last election,” he added.

Meanwhile, ANP’s candidate from NA-31 Peshawar-V Ghulam Ahmad Bilour Sunday refused to accept the by-election results, as he accused the KP government of “massive rigging”. Talking to Geo News, Bilour said: “Provincial government defeated me. I do not accept defeat.”

“In the by-election, the provincial government’s machinery was extensively used against me,” Bilour alleged, adding: “The government deployed his people inside and outside the polling stations.

“Imran Khan’s popularity is clearly on the decline,” claimed the ANP leader. Earlier, the counting of votes started at 5pm after the polling — which started at 8am — was held without interruption despite intense political activity. Sporadic clashes were reported in some constituencies.