LAHORE (INN) – With the results start pouring in after the polling in by-elections for 20 seats left vacant by the disqualification of dissident members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), former prime minister-led PTI is leading on 13 seats after winning five seats, while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz could only get one seat in unofficial results.
The polling began at 8am and continued till 5pm but in several districts polling was stopped due to clashes.It is pertinent to mention that the 20 seats fell vacant after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) “de-seated” 25 PTI dissident lawmakers on May 23 for voting against PML-N’s Hamza Shahbaz in the Punjab chief minister’s election. Which included five lawmakers elected on reserved seats for women and minorities.
By-elections were held in 20 constituencies of Punjab Assembly including PP-7 Rawalpindi, PP-83 Khushab, PP-90 Bhakkar, PP-97 Faisalabad; PP-125, PP-127 Jhang, PP-140 Sheikhupura,PP-158, 167,168,170 Lahore;PP-167, Lahore, PP-202 Sahiwa,; PP-217 Multan, PP-224 Lodhran, PP-228 Lodhran, PP-237 Bahawalnagar, PP-272,273 Muzaffargarh,PP-282 Layyah and PP-288 Dera Ghazi Khan.
A total of 4.57 million registered voters, including 2.46 million women, were eligible to cast ballot in the by-polls. As many as 3140 polling stations, including 731 male, 700 female and 1700 combined polling stations had been established across the 20 constituencies.
A total of 9,562 polling booths had been set up for the by-polls. The ECP had declared 1204 polling stations sensitive and 696 highly sensitive.
Polling stations from Lahore and Multan had also been declared sensitive. Provincial Election Commissioner Saeed Gul had said that the Election Commission was completely neutral and there was no truth in the allegations, they were working according to the Constitution and the law.
Punjab Assembly number game
The Punjab Assembly has a total of 371 members, of which 20 seats are vacant at the moment, bringing the total number of MPAs in the Punjab Assembly down to 351.
The PML-N has 163 members. On the other side is the Opposition, therefore the PTI, which is 163 MPAs strong at the moment.
In the house, there are five independents, of which Chaudhry Nisar, the former interior minister, is unlikely to vote. While the PPP has 7 MPAs, PML-Q has 10, and the Rah-e-Haq party has one.
As per the rules of the Punjab Assembly, the chief minister is elected with a simple majority, therefore 186 votes out of the 371-seat assembly.
Unofficial Results
PP-7 Rawalpindi
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Col M Shabbir Awan is leading the vote count by securing 10,938 votes followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Raja Sagheer Ahmad who has obtained 10,177 vote.
PP-83 Khushab
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Hassan Aslam Malik secured victoty by securing 48,475 votes while Independent candidate Asif Malik Bha could bag 41,752 votes.
PP-90 Bhakkar
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Irfan Ullah Niazi won by obtaining 68,982 vote, followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Saeed Akbar Nawani who could secure 59,856 votes.
PP-97 Faisalabad
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Ali Afzal Sahi is leading the vote count by securing 18,670 votes followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Muhammad Ajmal Cheema who has obtained 17,203 vote.
PP-125 Jhang
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Mian Azam Chela is leading the vote count by securing 16,492 votes followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Faisal Hayat Jabboana who has obtained 10,996 vote.
PP-127 Jhang
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Mehar Nawaz Bharwana is leading the vote count by securing 12,342 votes followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Mehar Aslam Bharwana who has obtained 8,129 vote.
PP-140 Sheikhupura
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Khurram Shahzad Virk won by obtaining 49,734 vote, while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Mian Khalid Mehmood secured 6,546 votes.
PP-158 Lahore
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Mian Akram Usman secured victory by securing 37,463 votes while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Rana Ahsan Sharafat obtained 31,906 votes.
PP-167 Lahore
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Shabbir Ahmed Gujjar won by securing 40,206 votes followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Nazir Ahmed Chohan who has obtained 26,535 vote.
PP-168 Lahore
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Malik Asad Khokhar secured victory by obtaining 26,174 votes, while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Nawaz Awan secured 15,719 votes.
PP-170 Lahore
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Malik Zaheer Abbas secured victory by securing 23,969 votes while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Muhammad Amin Zulqarnain has obtained 14,916 votes.
PP-202 Sahiwal
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Ghulam Sarwar secured victory by securing 61,989 votes folowed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Malik Nauman Langrial could obtained 59,167 vote.
PP-217 Multan
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Makhdoom Zain Qureshi has secured victory by securing 46,427 votes while his opponent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Muhammad Salman Naeem could only secure 40,285.
PP-224 Lodhran
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Amir Iqbal Shah secured victory by obtaining 69,625 votes, while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Zawar Hussain Warraich secured 55,748 votes.
PP-228 Lodhran
Independent candidate Rafi Ud Din Bukhari won obtaining 42,719 votes, followed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Izzat Javaid who could secure 34,635 votes.
PP-237 Bahawalnagar
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Fida Hussain Wattoo won the election by obtaining 61,248 vote while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Syed Aftab Raza could obtain 25,227 votes.
PP-272 Muzaffargarh
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Moazzam Ali Jatoi secured vitory by securing 49,823 votes while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Zehra Basit Bukhari obtained 42,995 vote.
PP-273 Muzaffargarh
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Yasir Arfat Jatoi is leading the vote 9715 followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Muhammad Sibtain Raza who has secured 7765.
PP-282 Layyah
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Qasier Abbas Magsi won by getting 43,922 votes while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Muhammad Tahir Randhawa obtained 29,715 vote.
PP-288 Dera Ghazi Khan
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Saifuddin Khosa secured victory by obtaining 56,857 vote while his opponent and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Abdul Qadir Khosa who has secured 33,254 votes.