Popularity graphs of winners of Lahore NA polls since 1970

A cumbersome research into the constituency-wise results of all the National Assembly elections held in Lahore since December 1970 shows that the politicians featuring on the top of the popularity graphs drawn after each electoral exercise may not fall in the league of the better known national political heavyweights, but then statistics often reveal what can be more interesting and they tend to hide, what can simply be startling.
For example, in 1997 by-election from NA-96, PML-N's Kamil Ali Agha had succeeded in garnering 91.69 per cent of the total valid votes cast that day.
Of the total 18,418 valid votes polled, Kamil Ali Agha had won the nod of 16,888 voters.
Nobody has ever achieved popularity of this magnitude on a given single day and even Kamil Ali Agha may not have noticed that!
During 1970 by-election in Lahore's constituency number NW-60, former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri's father Mian Mehmood Ali Kasuri had won by convincing some 49,363 voters to exercise their right of franchise in his favour.
The number of valid votes in this constituency on the polling day was 59,824, which thus means that the elder Kasuri had actually bagged 82.51 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Former Premier and PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had vacated this seat because he had won from four other constituencies (Larkana, Multan, Hyderabad and Thatta) on the same day-another record of sorts held by any Pakistani or even an international politician till date.
Bhutto had managed to muster support of 78,132 voters. The number of valid votes in this constituency then was 124,434. He had thus obtained 62.79 per cent of the total valid votes cast and had decided to retain his Larkana seat.
During the 1997 polling exercise, Mian Muhammad Azhar of PML-N had bagged 57,220 votes out of 72,601 valid votes from NA-92 Lahore, which means he had pocketed 78.81 per cent of the valid votes polled on the polling day.
It was, however, ironic for the Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League that both Kamil Ali Agha and Mian Muhammad Azhar had sided with General Musharraf and his PML-Q after the October 12, 1999 coup.
Shahbaz Sharif comes fourth in this list of securing the major chunk of the valid polls polled during any ballot exercise staged by the city of Lahore.
In 1997, he had managed to secure 47,614 votes or 78.74 per cent of 60, 468 valid votes cast in NA-96 Lahore.
The PML-N boss and sitting Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif finds himself fifth on this list of politicians bagging most of the valid votes cast. He was seen getting 50,592 or 76.07 per cent of the 66,506 valid votes cast in NA-95 Lahore.
During a 2008 by-election held in NA-123 Lahore, Pervaiz Malik of PML-N had got 44,146 or 75.51 per cent of the 58,465 valid votes cast that day.
The by-election in NA-123 was held after PML-N's Javed Hashmi had decided to vacate this seat since he had returned victorious from a few other constituencies too.
Here follow a few other election results between 1970 and May 2013, where candidates had managed to get 50 per cent or more of the valid votes cast:
During the 1970 polls, Dr. Mubashir Hassan of PPP had secured 82,476 votes out of 126,985 valid votes cast in NW 59 Lahore. Therefore, he had obtained 66. 95 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Former Caretaker Premier Malik Meraj Khalid had secured 89,660 votes out of 144,092 valid votes in NW 62 Lahore. He had thus obtained 62.22 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
During the controversial 1977 elections, SM Masood of PPP had secured 45,453 votes out of 79,445 valid votes cast in NA-81 Lahore. He had thus obtained 57.21 per cent of the total valid votes polled.
Khalid Latif Khokhar of PPP had secured 53,757 votes out of 87,603 valid votes cast in NA-82 Lahore. He had thus obtained 61.36 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Mian Ehsanul Haq of PPP had secured 64,649 votes out of 96,550 valid votes from NA-83 Lahore. He had thus obtained 66.96 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Dr. SM Yaqoob of PPP had secured 45,822 votes out of 78,301 valid votes from NA-84 Lahore. He had thus obtained 58.22 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Mian Salahuddin of PPP had secured 51,171 votes out of 84,140 valid votes from NA-88 Lahore. He had thus obtained 60.82 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Malik Meraj Khalid of PPP had secured 73,398 votes out of 117,027 valid votes from NA-88 Lahore. He had thus obtained 62.72 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
During the non-party 1985 elections, Nawaz Sharif had topped the popularity graph from Lahore. He had won 35,719 or 63.70 per cent of the total 56,071 valid votes.
Sheikh Rohail Asghar had the second best tally on the popularity front. He had secured 46,646 votes out of 75,132 valid votes from NA-83 Lahore. He had thus obtained 62.09 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
From NA-82 Lahore, Iqbal Ahmed Khan Advocate had won 30,979 or 52.58 per cent of the 58,923 valid votes polled.
During the 1988 elections, Aitzaz Ahsan of PPP had secured 71,860 votes out of 122,979 valid votes from NA-93 Lahore. He had thus obtained 58.43 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Mian Nawaz Sharif had secured 49,318 votes out of 87,673 valid votes from NA-95 Lahore. He had thus obtained 56.25 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Late Benazir Bhutto could muster support of only 53,425 voters from NA-94 Lahore. The number of valid votes in her constituency was 103,352. She had thus obtained 51.69 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
During the 1990 general elections, Mian Nawaz Sharif had secured 59,944 votes out of 102,670 valid votes from NA-95 Lahore. He had thus obtained 58.39 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Shahbaz Sharif had secured 54,506 votes out of 98,050 valid votes from NA-96 Lahore. He had thus obtained 55.59 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Liaquat Baloch had secured 68,943 votes out of 126,965 valid votes from NA-97 Lahore. He had thus obtained 54.30 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Mian Usman of Jamaat-e-Islami had secured 60,220 votes out of 114,063 valid votes from NA-98 Lahore. He had thus obtained 52.80 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
During the 1993 ballot exercise, Nawaz Sharif had secured 63,276 votes out of 109,207 valid votes from NA-92 Lahore. He had thus obtained 57.94 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Nawaz Sharif had also bagged 57,959 votes out of 94,458 valid votes from NA-95 Lahore. He had thus obtained 61.36 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
In the bye-election from NA-95, Ishaq Dar had managed to win support of 39,483 voters. The number of valid votes in this constituency at that time was 63,529. He had thus obtained 62.15 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Shahbaz Sharif had secured 55,867 votes out of 95,683 valid votes from NA-96 Lahore. He had thus obtained 58.39 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
In the bye-election from NA-96, Javed Hashmi of PML-N had managed to win support of 41,435 voters. The number of valid votes in this constituency at that time was 65,743. He had thus obtained 63.03 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Mian Abdul Waheed had secured 63,068 votes out of 96,108 valid votes from NA-94 Lahore. He had thus obtained 65.62 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Tariq Aziz had secured 50,227 votes out of 73,869 valid votes from NA-94 Lahore. He had thus obtained 67.99 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Ishaq Dar had secured 61,556 votes out of 87,405 valid votes from NA-97 Lahore. He had thus obtained 70.43 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Mian Munir had secured 55,606 votes out of 76,000 valid votes from NA-98 Lahore. He had thus obtained 73.17 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Sardar Kamil Umer had secured 50,387 votes out of 74,012 valid votes from NA-99 Lahore. He had thus obtained 68.08 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
During the 2002 general elections, held under the military regime of General Pervez Musharraf, Khawaja Saad Rafiq had secured 43,166 votes out of 75,965 valid votes from NA-119 Lahore. He had thus obtained 56.82 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
In the NA-127 by-election, held due to resignation of Dr. Tahirul Qadri, PML-Q's Farooq Amjad Mir had got 29,268 votes. The number of valid votes in this constituency at that time was 51,772. He had thus obtained 56.53 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Samina Khalid Ghurki of PPP had secured 46,095 votes out of 84,078 valid votes from NA-130 Lahore during the 2002 elections. She had thus obtained 54.82 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
During the 2008 ballot exercise, Malik Riaz of PML-N had secured 55,900 votes out of 92,808 valid votes from NA-118 Lahore. He had thus obtained 60.23 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Bilal Yaseen of PML-N had secured 65,946 votes out of 96,275 valid votes from NA-120 Lahore. He had thus obtained 68.50 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Mian Marghoob Ahmed of PML-N had secured 72,227 votes out of 105,453 valid votes from NA-121 Lahore. He had thus obtained 68.50 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Ayaz Sadiq of PML-N had secured 79,506 votes out of 116,359 valid votes from NA-122 Lahore. He had thus obtained 65.23 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Javed Hashmi of PML-N had secured 67,707 votes out of 96,367 valid votes from NA-123 Lahore. He had thus obtained 70.26 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Sheikh Rohail Asghar of PML-N had secured 71,342 votes out of 106,458 valid votes from NA-124 Lahore. He had thus obtained 67.01 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Saad Rafiq of PML-N had secured 70,752 votes out of 110,246 valid votes from NA-125 Lahore. He had thus pocketed 64.18 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Umer Sohail Butt of PML-N had secured 69,718 votes out of 119,684 valid votes from NA-126 Lahore. He had thus obtained 58.25 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
During the 2013 elections, Malik Riaz of PML-N had secured 103,310 votes out of 169,137 valid votes from NA-118 Lahore.
Hamza Shahbaz of PML-N had secured 107,735 or 70 per cent of the valid votes polled in NA-119 Lahore.
Mian Nawaz Sharif had secured 91,666 or 61 per cent of the valid votes polled in NA-120 Lahore.
Mehar Ishtiaq Ahmed of PML-N had secured 114, 421 votes from NA-121.
Ayaz Sadiq of PML-N had secured 93,362 votes or 51 per cent of the total valid votes cast in NA-122.
Pervaiz Malik of PML-N had secured 126,877 votes from NA-123. He had emerged as the most 'popular winner' of Lahore by securing 73 per cent of total valid votes cast in his constituency.
Rohail Asghar of PML-N had secured 119,289 or 70 per cent of the valid votes polled in NA-124.
Saad Rafiq of PML-N had secured 123,094 or 56 per cent of the valid votes polled in NA-125.
Shafqat Mehmood of PTI had secured 96,666 votes or 50 per cent of all votes cast from NA-126.
Waheed Alam Khan of PML-N had secured 102,136 or 65 per cent of the valid votes polled in NA-127.
Afzal Khokhar of PML-N had secured 122,464 votes from NA-128.
Shahbaz Sharif had secured 93,436 votes or 65 per cent of the valid votes polled in NA-129.
Sohail Shaukat Butt of PML-N had secured 87,548 or 56 per cent of the valid votes polled in NA-130.
It is interesting to note that during the 2013 ballot exercise, Parvaiz Malik had obtained the highest number of votes (126,877) from NA-123 Lahore.
The toughest competition was seen in NA-126, where Shafqat Mehmood of PTI had defeated PML-N's Khawaja Hassan by 7,453 votes.
The biggest lead margin was seen in the contest between Parvaiz Malik and PTI's Atif Chaudhary. Pervaiz had won by a difference of 86,261 votes.
The highest vote getter for PTI from Lahore was Shafqat Mehmood. Imran Khan was behind him on the aggregate.
The constituency with the highest number of registered voters was NA-125 with 429,115 registered voters, though the October 11 by-election will break this record because the number of registered voters here has crossed the 488,000 mark already.