Pakistan Tehreek Insaf is in the lead as unofficial results from eight National Assembly and three Punjab Assembly seats started pouring in, with PTI chairperson Imran Khan winning six seats out of the total of eight NA seats up for grabs. The PTI has also secured two of three Punjab Assembly seats, bolstering its position in the legislature of the country’s largest province.
As per the unofficial results PTI chairman won Peshawar’s NA-31 by-election. Imran Khan bagged 57,824. His rival Ghulam Ahmed Bilour secured 32,253 votes. Bilour refused to accept the results, accused the he KP government of rigging saying that the the KP government interfered in the elections.
In the Mardan NA-22 by-poll, the PTI chairman secured 76,681 votes while JUI-F’s Maulana Muhammad Qasim secured 68,181 votes. The PTI chairman won by 8,500 votes, as per unofficial results.
In Charsadda NA-24 by-polls, the PTI chairman managed to bag 78,589 votes and ANP’s Aimal Wali Khan got 68,356 votes. Imran Khan won the contest by 10,233 votes, as per unofficial results.
Imran Khan won NA-108 Faisalabad and bagged 99,602 votes. He defeated PML-N’s Abid Sher Ali who secured 75,131 votes.
PTI candidates Faisal Khan Niazi PP-209 Khanewal and Malik Muzaffar Khan won and PP-241 Bahawalnagar.
PML-N’s Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed Bhangoo won the PP-139 Sheikhupura seat.
However, in a blow to the PTI, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s daughter Meher Bano Qureshi lost the NA-157 Multan by-election to PPP’s Syed Ali Musa Gillani, who is son of former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.
In Karachi, Imran Khan lost NA-237 to PPP’s Abdul Hakim Khan but recaptured NA239 for his party, defeating MQMP’s Syed Nayyar Reza.
Earlier, the polling started at 8am and continued till 5pm without any interruption with clashes reported in some constituencies.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said that overall, the polling process remained peaceful, and the commission’s central control room received 15 complaints of code violations which were resolved immediately.
The bye-polls were being held in three provinces – Punjab, where three seats of national and three of the provincial assembly are vacant; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where it is being held for three NA seats, and Sindh, where candidates are competing for two NA seats.
Mardan
Charsadda
Peshawar
Faisalabad
Nankana Sahib
Malir
Korangi
Karachi
Multan
Sheikhupura
Bahawalnagar
Khanewal
A total of 101 candidates from different political parties and independents are taking part in the vote: 52 in Punjab, 33 in Sindh and 16 in KP.
In Punjab, 1,434 polling stations are established, 979 in KP and 340 in Karachi.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan is trying his luck in seven seats out of eight NA constituencies.
The polling staff, polling material, ballot papers, and polling bags were delivered to their respective polling stations on Saturday with complete security.
Read: Campaign for by-elections on 11 NA, PA seats ends
All presiding officers would arrive at their polling stations and set up polling booths by Saturday evening, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
The officers concerned in Karachi, Lahore, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad were monitoring the process of delivery of polling materials from the control room.
Separate special control rooms have been established at central and provincial levels to promptly resolve election related complaints in the conduct of impartial elections.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja wrote a letter on Saturday to Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh chief secretaries, and inspector generals of police to provide comprehensive security to polling staff, candidates, and political parties.
“Complaints can be registered in central control room Islamabad at 051-9210837 and 051-9204402; 051-9210838. Complaints can also be communicated through fax number 051-9204404 and email; ddmonitoringisb@gmail.com,” the APP reported
The provincial control room, Lahore could be contacted at landline telephone 042-99212620; 042-99212209 and email pecpunjabcontrolroom@gmail.com
The Sindh control room could be contacted at 021-99205338; Mobile no 0334-3895812;0331-3584450 and 0300-9374192; email pecelection123@gmail.com
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa control room, Peshawar contact no is 091-9222475;091-9211034; email electionbranchkpk@gmail.com.
