Sharif-backed candidate wins Senate by-poll in Punjab Assembly

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) backed independent candidate Dr Asad Ashraf won the Senate by-election held at Punjab Assembly with 298 votes.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Dr Zarqa Taimur secured 38 votes in the upper house by-poll. The Senate seat from Punjab fell vacant after Nehal Hashmi’s disqualification.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had declared the PML-N Senate candidates as independent in the aftermath of the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s ruling over the petitions challenging the Election Act 2017, which removed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as the party president.

The Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) has not fielded its candidate in the Senate by-election from Punjab. The polling for the vacant Senate seat will remain continued till 4:00 pm today.

Speaking to press outside Punjab Assembly, Dr Ashraf, a former MPA, criticized the apex court’s ruling, which deprived the ruling party of its election symbol of Lion.

“Our symbol has been snatched from us, this is unfair,” he complained.

During the election in the assembly Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah cast the first vote.

The provincial assembly of Punjab is comprises of total 368 members with 53 lawmakers in the opposition.