ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) grabbed the highest number of seats in the by-polls held in 21 National and provincial assembly constituencies on April 21.

According to Forms-47 released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the party clinched two of the five National Assembly seats, nine out of 12 Punjab Assembly seats, and one out of the two Balochistan Asse­mbly seats up for grabs.

The PPP and PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council, and an independent candidate won a National Assembly seat each. The PPP, PML-Q, and Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) got one seat each in the Punjab Assembly.

In a major upset, an independent candidate Mubarak Zeb — brother of slain independent candidate Rehan Zeb, who was killed before the Feb­r­u­ary 8 general elections — won from the NA-8 Bajaur constituency defe­a­ting Gul Zafar Khan.

PPP, PTI clinch one National Assembly seat each

Faisal Amin Khan won the National Assembly seat from NA-44 in Dera Ismail Khan vacated by his brother Ali Amin Gan­dapur. He bagged 66,860 votes while his rival Rasheed Khan Kundi of the PPP got 21,970.

In NA-119 (Lahore), Ali Pervaiz of the PML-N won by securing 51,086 votes. Runner-up Shahzad Farooq backed by the PTI got 34,197 votes. The seat was vacated by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

The NA-132 (Kasur) seat vacated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was won by Rasheed Ahmed Khan of the PML-N to become the only person in the by-polls to secure more than 100,000 votes. He got 146,849 votes while PTI-backed Sardar Hussain Dogar got 34,197 votes

In Sindh’s Qamber Sha­h­dadkot, PPP’s Khur­s­heed Junejo won the NA-196 constituency, vacated by party Cha­irman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, with 91,581 votes. The only other candidate in the race was Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakis­tan’s Muhammad Ali, who got 2,763 votes.

Punjab Assembly

In Chakwal-cum-Tala­g­ang’s PP-22, PML-N’s Falak Sher Awan defe­ated SIC’s Nisar Ahmad. They secured 58,845 and 49,979 votes, respectively.

In Gujrat’s PP-32, former Punjab CM Chau­dhry Parvez Elahi was defeated by his nephew, PML-Q’s Musa Elahi, who clinched 71,357 votes. The former CM could only bag 37,106 votes.

PML-N’s Adnan Afzal Chattha won the PP-36 Wazirabad seat defeating PTI’s Faiz Chattha. They secured 74,769 and 58,682 votes, respectively.

The PP-54 Narowal seat was won by federal minister Ahsan Iqbal’s son Ahmed Iqbal who defeated SIC’s Awais Qasim. The winner received 59,234 votes while his opponent could get 45,762 votes.

In Bhakkar’s PP-93, PML-N’s Saeed Akbar Khan defeated an independent candidate Afzal Dhandla in a close contest. They secured 62,058 and 58,845 votes, respectively. In PP-139 Sheikhupura, PML-N’s Rana Afzaal Hussain won by bagging 45,585 votes. SIC’s Mian Ijaz Hussain bagged only 29,833 votes.

In PP-147 Lahore, Muham­mad Riaz of the PML-N won by just getting 31,841 votes. He defeated an independent candidate Muhammad Khan Madani who got 16,548 votes in an electoral race marked by low turn-out (13.97 per cent).

The Form-47 shows that SIC’s candidate Shahrukh Jamal Butt pulled out of the race after the passage of the deadline for the withdrawal of his nomination papers. In PP-149 Lahore, Muhammad Shoaib Siddiqui of the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party emerged victorious by securing 47,722 votes. He beat SIC’s Zeeshan Rasheed who managed to get 26,209 votes.

PML-N’s Chaudhry Muham­mad Nawaz won from Lahore’s PP-158, defeating SIC’s Chaud­hry Moonis Elahi. They got 40,165 and 28,018 votes, respe­ctively. On the PP-164 seat from Lahore, PML-N’s Rashid Minhas defeated SIC’s Mohammad Yousuf.

In Rahim Yar Khan’s PP-266, PPP’s Mumtaz Ali defeated PML-N’s Muhammad Safdar Khan Leghari by a clear margin. They secured 47,181 and 34,552 votes, respectively. SIC’s Ch Samiullah was far behind in the race with 14,627 votes.

In PP-290 Dera Ghazi Khan, PML-N’s Ali Ahmad Khan Leghari won against independent candidate Sar­­dar Muhammad Mohi­uddin. They respectively secured 62,484 and 23,670 votes.

KP Assembly

Mubarak Zeb Khan, who won the National Assembly seat from Bajaur also emerged victorious on PK-22, Bajaur, securing 23,386 votes. He defeated Abid Khan of the Jamaat-i-Islami who got 10,477 votes. PTI’s Daud Shah won PK-91, Kohat with 23,496 votes, while independent candidate Imtiaz Shahid got 16,518 votes.

Similarly, PML-N’s Muham­mad Zareen Khan Magsi won the provincial assembly seat PB-22 from Lasbela, receiving 49,777 votes, whereas independent Shah Nawaz Hasan secured 3,869 votes.

Balochistan National Party-Mengal candidate Mir Jahanzeb Mengal won the provincial assembly seat from the PB-20 constituency of Khuzdar, receiving 28,175 votes, while independent candidate Shafiq Mengal got 20,344 votes.

Moreover, a re-election was held in PB-50, Killa Abdullah, from where Zamarak Khan of the Awami National Party won with 72,032 votes, while Mir Wais Khan Achakzai of Pashtu­nkhwa Milli Awami Party came second with 57,132 votes. The turn-out in this constituency remained highest (79.65 pc).

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2024