ISLAMABAD: As the counting of votes for the by-polls held on Sunday neared its end, unofficial and unconfirmed results showed the PTI recaptured five of the eight National Assembly seats and enjoyed the lead in another, while also grabbing two Punjab Assembly seats that were previously held by PML-N.
Despite claiming a lion’s share of the seats, the party also lost two of the NA seats-NA 157 Multan –IV and NA-237 Malir-II-that it had won in 2018. Its defeat on both the seats came at the hands of PPP.
According to un-official and unconfirmed results, PTI has secured victory on five National Assembly seats – NA 31 Peshawar, NA 22 Mardan, NA 24 Charsadda and NA 108 Faisalabad and two Punjab Assembly seats – PP 209 Khanewal and PP 241 Bahawalnagar till the filing of this report. Pakistan People’s Party has won NA 157 Multan and NA 237 Karachi Malir and PML-N secured one seat of PP 109 Sheikhupura. Clashes were reported between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Awami National Party (ANP) workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the PTI and PPP workers in Karachi during polling for the by-elections.
By-polls to 8 NA, 3 Punjab PA seats today
As per dashboard of ECP, in NA-31 Peshawar PTI chairman Imran Khan obtained 57,824 votes whereas Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour Ahmed 32,253 votes while turnout in the constituency was 20.28%; in NA 24 Charsadda Imran Khan got 78,589 votes against Amal Wali Khan’s 68,356 votes with voting turnout of 28.02 percent.
The ECP has also made arrangements in media room for media persons to watch live results by Returning Officers, Provincial Election Commissioners’ offices.
Earlier, in the morning the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) had called upon the people to come and cast their vote without any fear. He also directed Provincial ECs for taking stern action against anyone trying to influence the polling process in the by-election on eight National assembly’s seats and three Punjab Assembly seats. The spokesman of the ECP said that the CEC has issued instructions to the three provincial election commissioners for taking action against anyone who tries to influence the polling process, in addition CEC said that if any public servant is found involved in rigging, he must be immediately arrested and after taking legal action against him the case should be sent to the ECP for disciplinary action.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022