Polling for by-elections in 13 national and provincial assembly constituencies has ended, and the vote-counting process is currently under way as unofficial results start coming in from various polling stations.
Across the country, polling was held for six National Assembly and seven Punjab Assembly seats. The voting process began at 8am and continued without any break until 5pm, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Vote counting has now started at multiple polling stations, while voters who were still inside the premises at closing time are being allowed to cast their ballots.
By-elections were held in Haripur, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sargodha, Mianwali, and Muzaffargarh, among others. The unofficial results from these constituencies are beginning to show the standing of candidates from various political parties.
NA-185, Dera Ghazi Khan
As per unofficial results from 15 polling stations, PML-N candidate Mahmood Qadir Leghari is leading with 11,045 votes, ahead of PPP’s Sardar Dost Khosa, who has secured 4,221 votes.
NA-143, Chichawatni
Unofficial results from 26 polling stations show PML-N’s Chaudhry Muhammad Tufail Jutt in the lead with 7,411 votes, followed by independent candidate Zarar Akbar with 619 votes.
NA-18, Haripur
Unofficial results from 25 polling stations put independent candidate Shehrnaz ahead with 8,335 votes, while PML-N’s Babar Nawaz Khan trails with 5,811 votes.
NA-129, Lahore
According to unofficial results from six polling stations, PML-N’s Hafiz Nauman is leading with 533 votes, followed by PTI-backed independent candidate Chaudhry Arsalan with 319 votes.
NA-96, Faisalabad
Unofficial results from six polling stations show the PML-N candidate in the lead with 1,074 votes. Independent candidate Malik Nawab Sher Waseer has 191 votes, while Rana Nazzakat Ali Naz has secured 518 votes.
PP-269, Muzaffargarh
Unofficial results from 11 polling stations indicate PPP’s Mian Alamdar Qureshi leading with 7,000 votes. Independent candidate Iqbal Pattafi has secured 3,687 votes, while Abdul Hai Dasti stands at 767 votes.
Strict security arrangements were made during polling. A total of 2,792 polling stations were set up, of which 408 were declared highly sensitive and 1,032 sensitive. More than 2,000 security personnel were deployed, and voters were urged to cast their ballots without fear.
National Assembly Constituencies
In NA-18 Haripur, nine candidates are contesting, including PTI-backed independent Shehrnaz, PML-N’s Babar Nawaz Khan, and PPP’s Erum Fatima. The seat became vacant after the disqualification of PTI’s Omar Ayub.
In NA-96, a total of 16 candidates from PML-N, PPP, and independents are in the race. The constituency has 372,133 male voters and 272,991 female voters.
In NA-104, five candidates, including PML-N’s Raja Daniyal and independent Rana Adnan Javed, are contesting.
A total of 557,637 voters are registered to cast their ballots in this NA constituency.
In Lahore’s NA-129, a tough contest is expected between PML-N’s Hafiz Muhammad Nauman and independents Bajash Khan Niazi and Arsalan Ahmed. A total of 334 polling stations were established, including 70 joint polling stations. The seat fell vacant after the death of Mian Azhar.
Political analysts consider NA-129 to be a decisive constituency that may influence the overall political direction of Lahore.
Sahiwal’s NA-143 is also witnessing a close contest between PML-N and a PTI-backed candidate. The constituency has 584,698 registered voters.
In NA-185, candidates from PML-N, PPP, and JUI-F are competing in a three-way contest.
In NA-66 Wazirabad, PML-N’s Bilal Farooq Tarar has already been elected unopposed following the withdrawal of PPP and other candidates.
Punjab Assembly
In PP-87 Mianwali-3, 193 polling stations and 640 polling booths were set up, including 332 for men and 308 for women. The constituency has a total of 283,272 registered voters.
Security on High Alert
Punjab’s police completed comprehensive security arrangements for the by-elections, deploying over 20,000 personnel.
Inspector General Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar said voters would be provided a peaceful environment, and strict implementation of the code of conduct and Section 144 would be ensured. CCTV monitoring is ongoing at highly sensitive polling stations.
