PTI trounces PML-N in bellwether province

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Against all odds, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has swept the Punjab by-polls, remaining victorious on 15 seats out of 20, while the ruling PMLN suffered a bitter defeat managing to get only four seats. An independent candidate also reached the provincial assembly.

The PMLN lost 3 seats out of four from Lahore which is said to be the political fortress of the party. As per unofficial results, the PTI’s Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi, son of party vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has defeated PML-N’s Muhammad Salman in PP-217 Multan VII, unofficial results from all the city’s polling stations show. Qureshi secured 46,963 votes as against Salman, who bagged 40,104.

From PP-90 Bhakkar, PTI’s candidate Irfan Ullah Khan Niazi won the seat by securing 77865 while runner up PML-N’s candidate Saeed Akbar Khan got 66513. As many as 163976 voters used their right to vote in this constituency and the voter turnout remained 65.9 percent.

From PP-272 Muzaffargarh-V, PTI’s candidate Muhammad Muazzam Ali Khan won by securing 46069 while defeated PMLN’s candidate Sayeda Zahra Basit Bukhari got 36401 votes. As many as 104593 voters cast votes in this constituency and the voter turnout remained 51.38 percent.

From PP-127 Jhang IV, PTI’s candidate Mehar Muhammad Nawaz won by securing 71648 while defeated PMLN’s candidate Mehar Muhammad Aslam got 47413 votes. As many as 125996 voters cast votes in this constituency and the voter turnout remained 53.71 percent.

From PP-228 Lodhran-V, independent candidate Sayed Muhammad Raffiuddin Bukhari won the seat by securing 45020 votes while PTI’s candidate Izzat Javed Khan got second position by getting 38338 votes. As many as 126348 voters used their right to vote in this constituency and the voter turnout remained 55.88 percent.

From PP-202 Sahiwal-VII, PTI’s candidate Muhammad Ghulam Sarwar won by securing 62298 votes while defeated PMLN’s candidate Malik Nauman Ahmad Langrial got 59191 votes. As many as 130093 voters cast votes in this constituency and the voter turnout remained 55.81 percent.

From PP-158 Lahore -XV, PTI’s candidate Mian Muhammad Akram Usman won by securing 37463 while defeated PML-N’s candidate Rana Ahsan Shrafat got 31906 votes. As many as 76422 voters cast votes in this constituency and the voter turnout remained 32.33 percent.

From PP-170-XXVII, PTI’s candidate Malik Zaheer Abbas won by bagging 24688 votes while defeated PML-N’s candidate Muhammad Amin got 17519 votes. As many as 46251 voters cast votes in this constituency and the voter turnout remained 40.34 percent.

From PP-83 Khushab, PTI’s candidate Hassan Malik won by securing 50749 votes while independent candidate Asif Malik got 43587 votes. The PML-N candidate Amir Haider Sangha remained on third position and got 35395 votes. The voter turnout remained 47.84 percent.

From PP-140 Sheikhupura-VI, PTI’s candidate Muhammad Khurram Shahzad Virk won by securing 50166 votes while defeated PMLN’s candidate Mian Khalid Mehmood got 32105 votes. As many as 98202 voters cast votes in this constituency and the voter turnout remained 40.65 percent.

From PP-167 Lahore XXIV, PTI’s candidate Shabbir Ahmad won by securing 40511 votes while defeated PMLN’s candidate Nazir Ahmad Chauhan got 26473 votes. As many as 73948 voters cast votes in this constituency and the voter turnout remained 33.56 percent.

From PP-97 Faisalabad, PTI’s candidate Ali Afzal Sahi won by bagging 6641 votes while defeated PMLN’s candidate Muhammad Ajmal got 54266 votes.

From PP-15 Jhang-II, PTI’s candidate Mian Muhammad Azam won by securing 82297 votes while defeated PMLN’s candidate Faisal Hayat got 52277 votes. As many as 148035 voters cast votes in this constituency and the voter turnout remained 58.84 percent.

From PP-282 Layyah, , PTI’s candidate Qaisar Abbas Magsi won by securing 43922 votes while defeated PMLN’s candidate Muhammad Tahir Randhawa got 29726 votes.

From PP-224 Lodhran-I, PTI’s candidate Muhammad Amir Iqbal Shah won by securing 69881 votes while defeated PML-N’s candidate Zawar Hussain Warriach got 562214 votes. As many as 132831 voters cast votes in this constituency and the voter turnout remained 57.1 percent.

From PP-288 Dera Ghazi Khan-IV, PTI’s candidate Sardar Muhammad Saif Uddin Khan Khosa won by securing 48166 votes while defeated PMLN’s candidate Abdul Qadir Khan got 32212 votes. As many as 97267 voters cast votes in this constituency and the voter turnout remained 48.15 percent.

From PP-7, Rawalpindi, PMLN’s candidate Raja Saghir Ahmad won by securing 68906 votes while PTI candidate Muhammad Shabbir Awan got 68857 votes. The voter turnout remained 47.46 percent.

From PP-273 Muzaffargarh VI, PMLN’s candidate Muhammad Sebtain Raza won the seat by securing 59679 votes while runner up PTI’s candidate Yasir Irfat Khan got 51232 votes. As many as 119875 voters used their right to vote in this constituency and the voter turnout remained 53.23 percent.

From PP-168 Lahore, PMLN’s candidate Malik Assad Ali Khokhar won with a big margin as got 26169 votes while opponent PTI’s candidate Malik Nawaz Awan got 15767 votes.

From PP-237 Bhawalnagar, Fida Hussain Watto of PMLN won by bagging 61248 votes while PTI’s candidate Sayed Aftab Raza remained on second slot with 25227 votes.

Meanwhile, thanking his party workers and supporters of Punjab for what he called not just defeating PMLN but the entire state machinery, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan Sunday said the only way forward from here is to hold free and fair polls under a credible Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The PTI chairman said that now decisions would be taken by masses not in closed rooms. He further said that Pervez Elahi will become chief minister of Punjab on July 22.

In a series of tweets, after his party massively gaining in the by-election, Imran said, “Any other path will only lead to greater political uncertainty and further economic chaos”. He has summoned PTI core committee meeting today (Monday) to discuss future line of action of his party.

He also wrote, “I want to first thank our PTI workers and voters in Punjab for defeating not just defeating PMLN but the entire state machinery, especially harassment by police and a totally biased ECP. Thank you to all our allies, PMLQ, MQM, Sunni Ittehad Council”.

In his earlier tweets, Imran said results coming in PTI is winning in at least 15 seats. But it is very important for all our people on duty in all polling stations not to leave their posts till official results have been obtained from the returning officers.

“Today Punjab government has brazenly violated SC orders & election rules by openly using all government/state machinery to rig Punjab elections through illegal ballot stamping & harassing voters while arresting PTI leaders. Through it all ECP turned a blind eye. Courts must open now & act,” he said.

He also strongly condemned what he called the illegal arrest of Shahbaz Gill simply to try & rig elections & spread fear in people. These fascist tactics will not work & our people will not be deterred from exercising their right to vote. Handlers of imported government should realise damage they are doing to our nation.

Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar termed PTI the victory in the high-voltage Punjab by-elections as a milestone in Pakistan’s political history. He added that Pakistani people gave a clear and unequivocal message that they would not accept slavery come what may.

He told a news conference here after elections results showed PTI’s clear lead, Asad Umar said that it was an important day in Pakistan political history, as voters gave their verdict whether decision would be taken under close door or by the people.

He said that all surveys and political analyses showed PTI in clear lead and the today’s results speak volume about it. Asad Umar said that at preset PTI was winning with 2/3 majority, which clearly indicated that people rejected the slavery, adding that they could only work hard but Allah gave the success.

He stated that PTI’s core committee meeting would be held today (Monday) with Imran Khan in the chair, wherein the PTI would take future course of action. He said that Pakistan suffered heavily financially and politically under the few months of the imported government imposed under the foreign regime change conspiracy.

Asad Umar went on to say that Pervez Elahi would be elected as chief minister Punjab on July 22, adding that Shehbaz Sharif remained only Prime Minister of Islamabad now. He said that after Pakistan people’s historic decision, there was no justification to continue the current system and Shehbaz Sharif should better to immediately announce the elections.

Commenting on Maryam Nawaz’s reaction over her party’s humiliating defeat, Asad Umar said that the government used all state machinery and police to rig the polls; hence she had no option but to accept the results because she could not blame Hamza Shehbaz for polls rigging, however, he welcomed her statement.