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PML-N's Saiful Malok wins PP-160 by-polls
LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has won the PP-160 by-polls with a margin of over 8,000 votes against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI).According to unofficial results, Malik Saiful Malook Khokhar of the PML-N won the seat by bagging 27,798 votes, while the PTI’s Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, a former MNA, stood second with 19,432 votes.
The JI candidate, Malik Jehangir Bara, remained at number three, with 7,957 votes. None of others could show any remarkable performance. The seat fell vacant due to resignation of the PML-N assembly member, Rana Mubashir, who had to quit allegedly for possessing a fake graduation degree.
The score of independent candidates is as under. Rana Mohammed Dastagir (50), Asif Khan (75), Naeem Asghar (131), Malik Shafique Bara (25), Malik Imran Shafi (92), Malik Zaman Khokhar (139) and Malik Younas Awan (65). A total 56,314 votes were cast, out of which 55,768 were considered valid. Turnout remained 29.96 per cent, according to unofficial results.
The PML-N also won elections from this constituency in 1997, 2002, 2008, and it was the party’s fourth victory from the constituency. In 2008 general elections, PML-N’s Rana Mubashir won the seat with a big margin of nearly 24,000 votes by getting over 42,000 votes with no PTI candidate in the run for the seat then. However, in the by-polls, held on June 24, 2010, a reduction in the vote count of the PML-N was observed.
However, Imran Khan-led PTI, which ended up with nearly 10,000 votes in the NA-123 by-polls held a couple of months ago, showed increase in its vote bank by bagging nearly 20,000 votes this time.
The PTI supporters alleged that the PML-N used all means to rig the polls and at various polling stations, people were caught casting bogus votes with the help of the police deployed there.
Talking to the media, the PTI candidate Malik Zaheer Abbas also alleged that the PML-N used all tactics to rig the polls. He complained that the PTI candidate was shown as an independent candidate by the EC, though he was in the run with a party ticket. Out of total 145 polling stations, 51 were reserved for male voters, 48 for women and 46 were combined. The ECP office had declared 40 polling stations sensitive.
Till the 2008 polls, the total number of registered voters in the constituency were 187,842. Polling in the PP-160 started at its scheduled time of 9 am and continued till 5 pm without break. In various polling stations, scuffles broke out between the PML-N and the PTI supporters, and the police baton-charged them.
At the Shadiwal polling station, tension intensified with the arrival of MNA Afzal Khokhar to the polling station and the police had to intervene to diffuse the tension. The PTI supporters also chanted slogans against the Punjab government and set on fire the PML-N flags and banners. The JI supporters also protested against the alleged rigging by the PML-N. On the other hand, the PML-N supporters celebrated the victory of the party candidate.
Courtesy www.Geo.tv