Friday, August 23, 2013

Pakistan: Upsets define country’s biggest by-polls

There was a massive turnout witnessed in the country’s biggest by-polls held on Thursday, with voters rejecting candidates from leading political parties in favour of unknown rivals. Major upsets were witnessed in by-elections held across country on Thursday as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, ruling PML-N and PML-Functional failed to retain some of their previously-won seats vacated by the parties’ top leaders. The PPP, which tasted its worst defeat in May 11 general elections, made a decent come back by clinching three NA seats. Those who lost seats included the PTI, that lost both seats won by party chief Imran Khan in NA-1 Peshawar and NA-71 Mianwali, losing to ANP and PML-N candidates, respectively. In Mianwali, the home constituency of PTI chief Imran Khan, his candidate Malik Amjad lost to PML-N candidate ShadiKhel, who won with 95,091 votes. In NA-1 Peshawar, PTI candidate Gul Badshah faced a massive defeat at the hand of senior politician of ANP, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour. Per unofficial results, Bilour got over 37,000 votes while PTI Gul Badhsa bagged around 25,000 votes. Political pundits believe that bad decision-making by the PTI chief in awarding tickets cost PTI both seats. However, the PTI snatched two provincial assembly seats from DG khan, won and vacated earlier by Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif and Zulfikar Khosa. This is a rare achievement for the PTI as the party makes its mark in south Punjab. However, the PML-N won 10 provincial assembly seats from Punjab province on the whole. According to unofficial results, the PML-N was leading the race with five NA seats followed by PPP with three seats, PTI with two, PkMAP and MQM with one NA seat each. The MQM also won both provincial assembly seats from Karachi. The ECP withheld results for NA-5 and NA-27 and ordered re-election on nine polling stations of each constituency. The NA-5 seat was vacated by KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and NA-27 by JI chief Maulana Fazulur Rehman. Per unofficial results, the PTI was leading the race for both seats. The PTI managed to retain its NA-13 Swabi seat, which was vacated by KPK speaker Asad Qaisar. His brother managed to win the election for the PTI again. The PTI also retained its vacated NA-48 Islamabad seat with Asad Umar’s victory. Umar won the elections by getting 48,073 votes, while his rival, PML-N’s Ashraf Gujjar, got 44,186 votes. The PPP’s Shazia Mari snatched NA-235 Sanghar from the PML-F. She defeated JUI-F’s Khuda Bakhs Dar. PPP candidate Mehrunnisa won the elections from Thatta, while in Punjab, former foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar’s father, Noor Rabbani, won the NA-177 seat against the Dastis. This seat was won and vacated by Jamshad Dasti. His brother Javid Dasti, bagged only 49,547 votes against PPP’s Noor Khar, who won with 53,049 votes. - See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/08/23/news/national/upsets-define-countrys-biggest-by-polls/#sthash.p7NjjpoB.dpuf

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