The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has emerged victorious in NA-249 by-election, unofficial results show.
According to provisional results, PPP’s Qadir Khan Mandokhail secured 16,156 votes to win the election while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Miftah Ismail came in second with 15,473 votes, followed by the candidate from the recently banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Mufti Nazeer Ahmed Kamalvi, who secured 11,125 votes. Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal was at fourth place with 9,227 votes, followed by PTI’s Amjad Afridi with 8,922 votes.
PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz has hinted at challenging the by-elections results of the NA-249 constituency in Karachi where PPP candidate won the polls.
She slammed the political opponents in a Twitter message, saying that the tactics to defeat her political party will be exposed soon. The PML-N VP threatened that the lion could not be hunted down so easily, adding that they should remember it and wait for the response. She said that PML-N will take back the right of the citizens.
Maryam said that the political party will accept defeat if it is the decision of the citizens. Maryam Nawaz added that PML-N will fight against every decision taken by stealing ballot boxes and vote-rigging. ‘Make no mistake about it.’
Responding to rigging allegations after a PPP candidate won from NA-249, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that those who are raising hue and cry over their loss and terming it a Daska 2 should inform as to where violent incidents like Daska have been repeated during the Baldia by-poll.
“The PML-N friends should learn to admit their loss. If they have any proof of rigging in NA-249 then bring it forward or otherwise stay silent,” he said adding that instead of fighting with the federal government, they want to create a fight within the opposition parties.
He said that both Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Muhammad Zubair were at the DRO office to collect election results. “I would have called Shehbaz Sharif if PML-N secured victory from the constituency,” Bilawal said.
Meanwhile, Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Friday that the PPP held the whole system hostage for the sake of one seat.
He urged the opposition parties to consider Prime Minister Imran Khan’s proposals for electoral reforms.
In his tweet, he said that the by-election in Karachi has further necessitated the need for reforms in the electoral system.
The low voter turnout showed that the people are losing confidence in the election process, he added.
Counting started after polling ended on Thursday at 276 polling stations comprising 796 polling booths which were established in the constituency. The voting process began at 8:00 am and continued till 5:00 pm without any pause.
The NA seat was created in 2018 by amalgamating neighbourhoods that previously fell in two Upper House constituencies — NA-239 and NA-240 — during three general elections between 2002 and 2013.
The constituency, with 339,591 registered voters, has emerged to be a highly contested seat with candidates belonging to almost every major political party fighting for it.
On Thursday, when Miftah was in the lead, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz claimed that the “masses know who exactly is responsible for their troubles and woes”.
“I have said it earlier and I will say it again, Imran Khan and PTI will not be able to campaign and if they do, this is how they will be welcomed,” she said.
Her remarks were in response to a video shared by former journalist Talat Hussain showing PTI candidate for NA-249 Amjad Afridi being heckled by voters of the constituency.
Earlier, taking strict notice of PTI lawmakers’ presence in the NA-249 constituency during the by-poll, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) directed them to leave.
According to details, six PTI MPs Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Raja Azhar, Saeed Afridi, Bilal Ghaffar, Shah Nawaz Jadoon and Shahzad Awan were found to be violating the code of conduct by being present in the constituency during polling hours.
The ECP has issued their expulsion orders, directing police to expel them from the constituency.
Hopefuls and their supporters talking to APP acknowledged a lacklustre ambience reflecting a certain sense of detachment among the voters belonging to the constituency, however, expressed hope that they would come out of their homes by noon.
Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said that all surveys had shown the PTI to be ahead of all other parties in the by-poll.
Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said in a tweet that billionaires and political heavyweights are competing against Prime Minister Imran Khan’s young ideological and local worker Amjad Afridi.
The election, he said, was not a contest between [different] candidates but between different ideologies.
In a statement, NA Opposition Leader and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif appealed to the people of the constituency to come out of their homes and exercise their “constitutional and democratic” right to vote.
He said that by exercising their right to vote, people could elect competent representatives that would fulfil the promises made to the people.
“I am confident that you will make the right decision, as you did in the past, and will play your part in helping to deal with the myriad of problems plaguing the country,” he said. He also urged caution in light of the current coronavirus situation and told voters to wear a face mask.
