The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) gave a severe shock to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) as it won three of the four seats, including one from the ruling party’s stronghold Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in by-elections that claimed two lives in Punjab. However, the results of the one National Assembly constituency was withheld on the request of the PML-N.
The by-election surprise came in Nowshera as the ruling party failed to retain the provincial assembly seat it won in 2018.
By-elections were held on two National Assembly seats — Daska (NA-75) and Kurram tribal district (NA-45) — and as many provincial constituencies, in Gujranwala (PP-51) and Nowshera (PK-63), on Friday amid violence.
According to unofficial results, the PML-N retained both the National Assembly NA-75 and Punjab PP-51 seats it won in 2018 elections.
But the PML-N’s victory from Nowshera (PK-63) came as a major setback for the PTI which has been ruling Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2013.
PML-N candidate Ikhtiar Wali, who has the support of the opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement, returned by securing 21,112 votes against his rival, PTI’s Mian Umer Kakakhel, who got 17,023 votes.
The seat had fallen vacant after the death of PTI’s Mian Jamshaiduddin, father of Umer Kakakhel.
The National Assembly constituency NA-75 had fallen vacant after the death of PML-N MNA Sahibazada Syed Iftikharul Hassan Shah. The main rival in the constituency were PML-N’s Nousheen Iftikhar and PTI’s Ali Asjad Malhi.
Nousheen Iftikhar bagged 158,791 votes against Mr Malhi’s 142,311 votes. However, the results were withheld by the returning officer after PML-N’s allegation of rigging.
The PML-N claimed that 23 presiding officers had gone missing, raising doubt about the fair election.
PML-N’s Talaat Shaukat Cheema returned in the Punjab Assembly constituency PP-51 by securing 53,903 votes against PTI’s Yousaf Araen, who got 48,484 votes.
The seat had fallen vacant due to the death of PML-N lawmaker Shaukat Manzoor Cheema.
The only seat the PTI won is NA-45 Kurram-I. According to unofficial results, PTI’s Malik Fakhar Zaman obtained 16,911 votes while JUI-F’s Jamil Chamkani bagged 15,761 votes.
Earlier, in Daska violence, firing and clashes between activists and police continued the whole day. Police said at 3pm some suspects started firing at a polling station in the Government Boys High School, Goindkey-Bambaanwala. As a result, polling agents Majid and Zeeshan of the PTI and PML-N were killed inside polling station and two PML-N supporters, identified as Sajid and Fahad, sustained injuries.
