GUJRANWALA, Oct 11: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lost its ascendancy in Punjab as a result of its division and was replaced by Pakistan Muslim League (Quad-i-Azam) almost everywhere except in Lahore on Oct 10.
The PML-N lost its 14-year-old stronghold in Gujranwala district, as its aspirants could win none of the seven National Assembly (NA) and 14 Punjab Assembly (PA) seats of the district. The PML-N had swept the whole province including the district in the 1997 general election.
According to the results, the PML-QA captured three seats of National Assembly here while the PPP bagged two.
PML-J chief Chaudhry Hamid Nasir Chattha was defeated by young PML-QA aspirant Chaudhry Bilal Ijaz on NA-100. However he was elected on NA-101 (Wazirabad Tehsil).
HAFIZABAD: The whole panel of PML-QA for two NA and three PA seats of the district emerged victorious. It was led by Chaudhry Mehdi Hasan Bhatti. Voters’ turnout remained 50 to 55 per cent here.
GUJRAT: The PML-QA emerged as the dominant party in Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin and Jhelum districts by winning four of the eight NA seats and 12 of the 17 PA seats.
The PML-N was hit hard by Chaudhrys’ alienation in Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin.
The PPP fared well by securing three national assembly seats and as many PA seats while the PML-N could get only one NA and one PA seat from the three districts.
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervez Illahi were prominent among the PML-QA winners. The Chaudhrys swept the board in Gujrat Tehsil.
SARGODHA: The PML-QA has emerged as the single largest party in the four districts of the defunct Sargodha division, where the PML-N could win just one of the 23 PA seats.
The PPP bagged two NA and two PA seats in Sargodha district and also won an NA seat in Mianwali. Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan bagged the other NA seat of Mianwali.
The PML-QA won three NA seats and five provincial assembly seats from Sargodha, two PA seats from Khushab, the two national and four PA seats from Bhakkar and two PA seats from Mianwali district.
SIALKOT: The PML-QA won a majority of national and provincial assembly seats but lost in Sialkot city where PML-N’s Khwaja Mohammad Asif remained unbeatable. The district had been a PML-N stronghold since 1988.
The district has five seats of National Assembly and 11 of the provincial. The PML-QA won four NA seats here. Notable losers included the father of Sialkot district Nazim Mian Naeem Javaid, Prof Amin Javaid, who was an MMA candidate for NA-112. The district Nazim’s younger brother, PML-QA’s Mian Usman Javaid, was knocked out by PML-N’s Imran Ashraf in PP-123.
The Variyos won two provincial assembly seats, contesting elections on the PML-QA platform. Chaudhry Khush Akhtar Subhani, awarded bail by a NAB court on medical grounds, won in PP-125.
MMA’s Arshad Mehmood Baggu made a breakthrough by defeating the local business tycoons in PP-122.
The PML-N won only one national and one provincial assembly seat from the district.
NAROWAL: Begum Riffat Javed Kahloon (wife of the district Nazim) of the PML-QA defeated PML-N’s Chaudhry Ahsan Iqbal to win NA-117.
Chaudhry Ahsan alleged that the election was rigged, saying that results in 28 polling stations had been tempered with.
In NA-115, Mohammad Naseer Khan of the PML-Q emerged victorious. Khizar Ilyas Virk of PML-Q won PP-135. In PP-136, Col Shujaat Ahmed Khan was the winner.
FAISALABAD: The PML-QA surprised everyone by winning six of 11 National Assembly seats of the district. The PML-N won four, leaving just one for the PPP.
However, the he PPP performed better in the provincial assembly elections and succeeded in winning nine of 22 seats of the district. The PML-QA also captured nine seats while the PML-N could get only three. Election could not be held in PP-61 due to death of PPP nominee Farooq Israr advocate.
PML-QA nominees for the 11 NA seats secured 442,506 votes against 362,732 of the PPP and 318,257 of the PML-N.
SHEIKHUPURA: New faces emerged on four of seven NA seats of the district. All of them belong to influential families.
There are seven national and 13 provincial assembly seats in the district. The PLM-QA won five seats in what had been a PPP stronghold — except in 1997 elections. The PPP and PML-N won a seat each.
NA-132 was the most important seat of the district where PML-N’s Sahibzada Mian Jalil Ahmad Sharaqpuri defeated PML-QA president Mian Mohammad Azhar.
He new faces are Bilal Ahmad Virk, Mian Shamim Haider, Khurram Munawar Manj and Chaudhry Mohammad Saeed.
NA-134 was won by PPP’s Mr Khurram — the young son of former MNA Munawar Hussain Manj who is in prison these days.
NA 136 was won by another youngster Bilal Ahmad Virk of the PML-QA, who is a nephew of district Nazim Chaudhry Tawakal Ullah Virk.
The PML-QA won eight of 13 provincial assembly seats of the district, the PML-N won three while the PPP bagged only one.
KASUR: The district was supposed to have a huge majority of PML-N voters. However, the PML-QA was the winner this time, as it won four of the five NA and six of the 10 PA seats of the district. The PPP won an NA seat here for the first time since 1985, besides two PA seats.
Syed Muzaffar Hussan Kazmi of the PPP won PP-177 (Kasur-III), which had almost always been won by Haji Ghulam Sabir Ansari of the PML-N.
PML-QA’s Malik Ahmad Saeed Khan and Malik Mohammad Ahmad Khan, the winners on PP-178 and 179, are nephews of Kasur Tehsil Nazim Malik Rasheed Ahmad Khan.
PML-QA’s Haji Rana Sarfraz Ahmad Khan of PML(QA), the winner on PP-184, is the elder brother of Kasur district Nazim Kasur Rana Imtiaz Ahmad Khan.
TOBA TEK SINGH: The PML-N stronghold since 1980 was captured by party deserters Amjad Warraich (PML-J) and Riaz Fatiana (independent) groups.
Mr Warraich and Mr Fatiana also won NA-92 and 94 — in Gujar and Kamalia, respectively. Farhan Latif, nephew of the district Nazim, won NA-93 as an independent candidate with the backing of PML-QA.
Three of the seven PA seats were also bagged by independent candidates. They are likely to fall in line with the party forming the government. They include Mr Fatiana’s wife, Asifa.
JHANG: The PML-QA bagged three of six NA seats from the district. The PPP could win only one seat, the remaining two going to the independents.
Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat of the PPP defeated Syeda Abida Hussain of the PML-QA for NA-88 while Maulana Azam Tariq, contesting the election as an independent candidate, defeated PAT chief Dr Allama Tahirul Qadri for NA-89.
OKARA: PPP’s Rao Sikandar Iqbal was elected as MNA for the third time after 1988 and 1993. PML-QA’s Rai Mohammad Aslam Kharal won an NA seat for the second time. In 1993, he was elected MNA on a PPP ticket. Syed Gulzar Sabtain and Rao Mohammad Ajmal Khan, who is the son of late Rao Mohammad Afzal Khan, have been elected to the NA for the first time. All the nine newly elected MPAs are newcomers.
The district has not been a stronghold of any party because of Biradarism. Local politics are dominated by the Wattoos of Deepalpur.
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