Punjab by-polls: PTI secures landslide victory, PML-N accepts defeat

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has emerged victorious in the majority of the seats in the crucial by-elections on 20 Punjab Assembly, ARY News reported.

According to the unconfirmed and unofficial results, results of 18 seats has been finalised, with PTI clinching 14 and PML-N winning just three.

An independent candidate, Syed Muhammad Rafi ud Din, won PP-228 Lodhran V, with 45,020 votes as against PTI candidate Izzat Javaid Khan, who bagged 38,338.

 

The counting of votes is still underway after polling concluded. The polling process was continued from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm uninterrupted before its conclusion amid reports of clashes and arrests.

ARY News maintained its tradition to become the first news channel that reported the constituency-wise election results just after the conclusion of the polling.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has accepted the defeat, with party vice president Maryam Nawaz saying the party should accept the results “wholeheartedly”.

مسلم لیگ ن کو کھلے دل سے نتائج تسلیم کرنا چاہییں۔ عوام کے فیصلے کے سامنے سر جھکانا چاہیے۔ سیاست میں ہار جیت ہوتی رہتی ہے۔ دل بڑا کرنا چاہیے۔ جہاں جہاں کمزوریاں ہیں، ان کی نشاندہی کر کے انھیں دور کرنے کے لیے محنت کرنی چاہیے۔ انشاءاللّہ خیر ہو گی۔

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 17, 2022

Taking to Twitter, the PML-N leader has urged the party workers to graciously accept defeat in the Punjab by-elections and submit to the will of the people.

“Wherever there are weaknesses, efforts should be made to identify them and overcome them,” she said on her party’s performance in the Punjab by-polls.

‘Imran Khan congratulates PTI workers’

Former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan congratulated the party workers and voters over victory in Punjab by-elections.

“I want to first thank our PTI workers [and] voters of Punjab for defeating not just [PML-N] candidates but the entire state machinery, [especially] harassment by police and a totally biased [Election Commission of Pakistan],” Imran Khan wrote on Twitter.

Election results

PP-224 Lodhran-I

According to unconfirmed and unofficial results from all 158 polling stations, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Amir Iqbal Shah secured victory by obtaining 69,881 votes, while Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Zawar Hussain Waraich stood second with 56,214 votes.

PP-7 Rawalpindi – II

Unconfirmed and unofficial results from 47 polling stations show that PML-N candidate Raja Sagheer Ahmad is ahead with 15,607 while PTI candidate Colonel (retd) Muhammad Shabbir Awan is second with 15,236 votes.

PP-127 Jhang – IV

Unconfirmed and unofficial results from all 175 polling stations show that PTI candidate Mehar Muhammad Nawaz has won the seat by securing 71,648 votes while PML-N candidate Mehar Muhammad Aslam was the runner-up with 47,413 votes.

PP-97 – Faislabad-I

PTI candidate Ali Afzal Sahi has won Faisalabad’s PP-97 seat by securing 66,416 votes in the Punjab by-polls, according to unconfirmed and unofficial results from all 168 polling stations.

Meanwhile, PML-N candidate Muhammad Ajmal stood second with 54,266 votes.

PP-217 – Multan VII

PTI candidate and son of former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Makhdoom Zain Hussain, has secured victory in PP-217 Multan.

PTI’s Zain Qureshi clinched victory by securing 46,963 votes in PP-217 Multan constituency. PML-N candidate Muhammad Salman was the runner-up with 40,104 votes.

The unofficial and unconfirmed results of all 124 polling stations have come forth in which Zain Qureshi secured the highest count of votes.

PP-237 – Bahawalnagar – I

According to unconfirmed and unofficial results from 160 polling stations, PML-N candidate Fida Hussain has won Bahawalnagar’s PP-237 seat by securing 61,248 votes.

Meanwhile, PTI candidate Syed Aftab Raza was the runner-up with 25,227 votes.

PP-288 – Dera Ghazi Khan – IV

According to unconfirmed and unofficial results from all 145 polling stations, PTI candidate Sardar Mohammad Said-ud-Din Khosa has won the seat by securing 58,015 votes. PML-N candidate Abdul Qadir Khan secured second place with 32,487 votes.

PP-83 – Khushab-II

According to unconfirmed and unofficial results from all 215 polling stations, PTI candidate Hassan Malik has won the seat with 48,475 votes.

Meanwhile, Independent candidate Muhammad Asif Malik was the runner-up with 41,752 votes.

PP-170 – Lahore-XXVII

PTI candidate Malik Zaheer Abbas secured victory by securing 23,969 votes while PML-N candidate Muhammad Amin Zulqarnain obtained 14,916 votes

PP-282 – Layyah – III

According to unconfirmed and unofficial results from 105 polling stations, PTI candidate Qaiser Abbas Khan was leading with 46,317 votes while PML-N candidate Muhammad Tahir was on second position with 29,014 votes.

PP-202 – Sahiwal-VII

PTI candidate Muhammad Gulam Sarwar has won Sahiwal’s PP-202 seat in Punjab by-polls.

According to unconfirmed and unofficial results from all 176 polling stations, PTI candidate has secured victory with 62,230 votes while PML-N candidate Malik Noman Ahmed Langrial stood second with 59,820 votes.

PP-90 – Bhakkar-II

PTI candidate Irfan Ullah Khan Niazi has secured victory on Bhakkar’s PP-90 seat in Punjab by-polls.

According to unconfirmed and unofficial results from all 181 polling stations, PTI candidate Irfan Ullah Khan Niazi secured victory with 77,495 votes while PML-N candidate Saeed Akbar Khan stood second with 66,274 votes.

PP-158 – Lahore-XV

PTI candidate Mian Akram Usman secured victory by securing 37,463 votes while PML-N candidate Rana Ahsan Sharafat stood second by obtaining 31,906 votes.

PP-125 – Jhang – II

PTI candidate Mian Muhammad Azam has won the Jhang’s PP-125 seat by securing 82,382 votes, according to unconfirmed and unofficial results from all 183 polling stations. Meanwhile, PML-N candidate Faisal Hayat was the runner-up with 52,158 votes.

PP-228 – Lodhran-V

Independent candidate Syed Muhammad Rafi Uddin Dukhari has won Lodhran’s PP-228 seat in Punjab by-elections, as per unconfirmed and unofficial results from all 136 polling stations.

According to unofficial results, Syed Muhammad Rafi Uddin Dukhari secured 45,020 votes, while PTI candidate Izzat Javaid Khan stood at second with 38,338 votes.

PP-273 – Muzaffargarh – VI

According to unconfirmed and unofficial results from all 132 polling stations, PML-N candidate Muhammad Sibtain Raza won the seat by securing 52,631 votes, while PTI candidate Yasir Arfat Khan was the runner-up with 46,903 votes.

PP-140 – Sheikhupura-VI

According to unconfirmed and unofficial results from all 165 polling stations, PTI candidate Khurram Shehzad secured victory with 50,166 votes, while PML-N candidate Mian Khalid Mehmood stood second with 32,105 votes.

PP-272 – Muzaffargarh – V

Unconfirmed and unofficial results from all 134 polling stations show that PTI candidate Muhammad Moazzam Ali Khan has secured victory with 46,069 votes while PML-N candidate Syeda Zehra Basit Bukhari stood second with 36,401 votes.

PP-167 – Lahore-XXIV

PTI candidate Shabbir Ahmed Gujjar won by securing 40,206 votes followed by PML-N candidate Nazir Ahmed Chohan who obtained 26,535 votes, according to unconfirmed and unofficial results.

PP-168 – Lahore-XXV

PML-N candidate Malik Asad Khokhar secured victory by obtaining 26,174 votes, while PTI candidate Nawaz Awan stood second by securing 15,719 votes.

Cruciality of by-elections, PA number game

The 20 Punjab Assembly seats were vacated after the PTI MPAs voted for Hamza Shahbaz in the Chief Minister (CM) elections. The results of the by-polls were essential for the CM vote count, ordered by the Supreme Court (SC), in the Punjab Assembly in July 2022.

Here is the list of the constituencies and candidates of the PTI and PML-N contested in them.

PP-158 (Lahore)

Mian Akram Usman of the PTI is contesting Rana Ahsan Sharafat of the PML-N in the constituency.

PP-167 (Lahore)

Chaudhry Shabbir Gujar of the PTI vs Nazir Chohan of the PML-N.

PP-168 (Lahore)

Malik Nawaz Awan of the PTI is battling against Malik Asad Khokhar of the PML-N.

PP-170 (Lahore)

PTI’s Zaheer Abbas Khokhar is vying against PML-N’s Chaudhry Amin Gujjar

PP-125 (Jhang)

Mian Muhammad Azam of the PTI vs Faisal Hayat of the PML-N

PP-127 (Jhang)

Mahar Nawaz Bharwana of the PTI is contesting against Mahar Aslam Bharwana of the PML-N

PP-07 (Rawalpindi)

Colonel (retd) Muhammad Shabbir Awan of the PTI is vying against Raja Sagheer Ahmed of the PML-N.

PP-83 (Khushab)

Malik Hassan Aslam Awan of the PTI vs Ameer Haider of the PML-N.

PP-140 (Sheikhupura)

Khurram Shahzad Advocate of the PTI is running for the MPA seat against PML-N’s Khalid Arain.

PP-224 (Lodhran)

Amir Iqbal Shah of the PTI is vying against Zawar Hussain Waraich of the PML-N

PP-228 (Lodhran)

Izzat Javed Khan of the PTI vs Nazeer Ahmed Khan of the PML-N

PP-288 (Dera Ghazi Khan)

Sardar Saifuddin Khosa of the PTI vs Abdul Qadir Khan Khosa of the PML-N

PP-217 (Multan)

The son of Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Zain Qureshi of the PTI, is contesting against Salman Naeem of the PML-N.

PP-97 (Chak Jhumra)

PTI’s Ali Afzal Sahi vs Ajmal Cheema of the PML-N

PP-202 (Sahiwal)

Major (retd) Ghulam Sarwar of the PTI is contesting against Nauman Langrial of the PML-N

PP-90 (Bhakkar)

Irafn Ullah Khan Nizai of the PTI vs Saeed Akbar Nawani of the PML-N.

PP-237 (Bahawalnagar)

Syed Aftab Raza of the PTI vs Mian Fida Hussain of the PML-N

PP-273 (Muzaffargarh)

Yasir Arafat Jatoi of the PTI vs Muhammad Sibtain Raza of the PML-N

PP-282 (Layyah)

PTI’s Qaiser Abbas vs PML-N’s Muhammad Tahir Randhawa