PML-N roars to victory

[Edevelop]

An elderly voter casts her ballot during the by-election in Peshawar. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD / LAHORE:

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday extended its winning streak in the country’s biggest ever by-elections, consolidating its grip on power.

The PML-N swept the country’s most populous province, Punjab – which is also its bastion – as it won 11 out of the 15 provincial assembly seats and bagged five out of the six National Assembly seats, according to unofficial results.

Similarly, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) also cemented its position in their stronghold province of Sindh.

Among the National Assembly seats, PPP bagged three constituencies, PTI came out on top in two, while the Awami National Party (ANP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) in one constituency each.

Election authorities withheld results from two constituencies of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where women were reportedly disfranchised.

Unexpected upsets

Perhaps the most impressive feat pulled by the party was the victory of Haji Obaidullah Khan Shadi Khel in NA-71 in Mianwali, which was the native constituency of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan. The turn of tides in this constituency is a major political upset for the PTI that had no long-term political strategy in the by-polls – as it had relied solely on the ‘Imran Khan connection’.

In another blow to PTI, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour of ANP comfortably won against his rival candidate Gul Badshah in the historically important NA-1 Peshawar seat. With the counting in 199 polling stations being almost complete, Ghulam Bilour led the race after receiving 29,934 votes, and Badshah secured 24,282 votes. Twelve candidates contested among which 8 were independent, two others belonged to the small political parties, while the major contest was between Bilour and Gul Bacha of PTI.

However, PTI managed to secure NA-48 Islamabad that was vacated by the party’s President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi. PTI’s Asad Umar defeated PML-N’s Ashraf Gujjar in this federal capital constituency in Islamabad’s rural areas – a traditional PML-N seat.

PTI also managed to defeat JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s brother, Maulana Attaur Rahman. Maulana Fazl had decided to quit NA-27 Lakki Marwat after he won from NA-24. The PTI candidate (retd) Col Amirullah received 28,500 votes in 175 polling stations, while Maulana Attaur Rahman received 23,770 votes.

PTI’s Sardar Ali Raza Khan Dareeshak won PP-247 by defeating PML-N’s Abdul Qadir Khan Mamdot. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif vacated this seat and the PTI victory serves a political upend for PML-N’s stronghold. Raza Khan is known to have won purely because of his personal vote bank and lineage – he is the son of former federal and provincial minister Sardar Nasrullah Khan Dareeshak.

Meanwhile, another provincial assembly upset took place with yet another PTI victory. Candidate Ahmed Ali Khan Dareeshak won PP-243 by defeating two Khosa brothers who had contested the election on different party tickets. Ahmed Ali Khan won this seat purely because of his party affiliation and campaigning – not his personality – as he snatched the Khosas’ old home seat. PML-N’s Senator Zulfiqar Khan Khosa had vacated this seat after the May 11 election.

Not many surprises here

The PML-N also won the NA-68 seat that was vacated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. In NA-129 Lahore, PML-N’s Shazia Mubashir secured an emphatic win. Meanwhile, PPP’s Ghulam Rabbani Khar was leading against Dasti in NA-177 Muzaffargarh until the filing of this report.

PPP’s Shazia Marri made her way to the National Assembly from NA-235 Sanghar, which was no surprise to Sindh. She defeated Khuda Buksh of PML-F’s Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashdi. Another PPP woman candidate, Meharunnisa, defeated Sarfraz Sherazi of PML-N in NA-237 Thatta in a tough contest.

The MQM swept Karachi – just as they had predicted so robustly. In NA-254 Karachi, MQM’s Muhammad Ali secured a comfortable win against PTI’s Naeem Shaikh. Other Karachi seats were also bagged by the party. In addition, MQM won a Sindh provincial assembly in Mirpurkhas.

Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party’s (PkMAP) Abdul Qahar Khan won the only National Assembly seat from Balochistan (NA-262) that went for the by-polls. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Qari Muhaamd Sher Ali secured the second-highest number of votes.

In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, PTI retained their NA-5 Nowshera and NA-13 Swabi-II seats. Meanwhile, PTI and JUI-F were still battling over the K-P Assembly seats as the votes were still being counted till the filing of this story. JUI-F was leading in PK-70 Bannu-1, while ANP candidate Ahmad Khan Bahadur won in PK-23 Mardan.

There were a total of 519 candidates contesting for 41 seats — 15 of National Assembly and 26 of provincial assemblies constituencies. The election authorities have withheld the results in NA-5 Nowshera and NA-27 Lakki Marwat where women were barred from casting their votes.

The new date for re-polling has not been announced.

The official results still were being compiled by the election authorities till filing of the report.

PML-N roars to victory – The Express Tribune

 

[yesboss]

Now lets see if IK rolls out another white paper of 1500 pages on rigging in by-elections.

 

[Sedqal]

Islamabad constituency is very important and was lost due o PMLN's own fault. PMLN should groom someone for the constituency who has appeal in both urban and rural areas. Islamabad is for most part Pro-PMLN it should not be difficult.

 

[Jzaib]

PLM manage Milan wali seat that is not a big deal ..they were in Center and Provincal government ..Its a pitty that they couldnt get the seat from there city where there all ministers and PM is sitting .. Moreover shahbaz sharif also lost his seat , PTI has also clenched another seat from PML N in rajaan pur ....even 2 seats are taken from PML N by ppp ... how dont know how u r calling it a victory ...

 

[SBD-3]

 

[Icewolf]

People saw that PTI is just same as PPP and PML-N, but difference is that PML-N did more for benefit of Pakistan while PTI cried for 3 months on rigging

 

[Jzaib]

People saw that PTI is just same as PPP and PML-N, but difference is that PML-N did more for benefit of Pakistan while PTI cried for 3 months on rigging

did what better?

 

[SBD-3]

did what better?

This is the problem, PTIian can't see beyond their egos and noses. Load-shedding in my city has dropped from 16-18 hours a day to 6-7 hours a day.

 

[SBD-3]

Just out on ET

Rifts in ruling party: Anjum Aqeel’s tacit support acts as swing vote for PTI
ISLAMABAD:
Internal differences within the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) over selection of a candidate appeared to have dented the party’s chances at bagging the capital’s NA-48 seat.
Disgruntled PML-N politician Anjum Aqeel Khan, who lost the seat to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s (PTI) Javed Hashmi, asked his followers to vote for PTI’s Asad Umar instead of PML-N’s official candidate Ashraf Gujjar, sources close to the development revealed.
“Khan feared that his political career would be over if Gujjar wins the elections,” said a senior PML-N political worker from Islamabad.
Khan was hopeful of getting the party’s ticket for the by-elections but a controversy ensued and Advocate Ashraf Gujjar, who was not strong candidate, came out as the party’s choice. Khan still tried to remain in the race until Prime Minister, and PML-N chief, Nawaz Sharif, intervened and ordered Khan to withdraw from the by-polls.
Sources in PML-N disclosed that PTI’s Ghulam Sarwar Khan, who won the election from NA-53 but was later disqualified over a fake degree, visited Khan’s house along with his brother Muhammad Siddique Khan, PTI’s Member Provincial Assembly from PP-7. The duo allegedly sought Khan’s support for their candidate on NA-48, as well as offering the controversial PML-N member to join PTI.
Khan’s grievances seemed to have boosted PTI’s chances in Islamabad’s rural areas—a traditional PML-N stronghold. Voter turnout at polling stations in the rural areas also appeared to be higher than the urban areas of NA-48. Voter mobilisation in Islamabad’s rural areas is mostly dependent on patronage-based political affiliations.
PTI’s political workers in rural areas such as Mehra Haqqu, a small village on the outskirts of the capital, said the differences within PML-N worked in their favour.
“The Jamaat-e-Islami was already supporting us and the PML-N’s infighting proved to be the icing on the cake for us,” a PTI political worker outside a polling station in Mehra Haqqu said.
Repeated attempts were made to contact Gujjar, however, he was not available for comments.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2013.
Rifts in ruling party: Anjum Aqeel

 

[arushbhai]

Timing of releasing that 2000 page of white paper was absolutely stupid. Now, the white paper holds no credibility since MQM won under militarys presence and in punjab, PTI faced a massive set back. Remember, we dont have fakhru g, or najam sethi. PTI should not have any excuse now. That 2000 page white paper... lol... Ill use it to warm my hands in winter.

People saw that PTI is just same as PPP and PML-N, but difference is that PML-N did more for benefit of Pakistan while PTI cried for 3 months on rigging

This is actually true. PTI exposed itself by making tiny mistakes. Instead of showing seriousness, they cried and cried and cried for 3 months. Imran khan has absolutely no support. The reason why he didnt leave his Rawalpindis seat is because he knew he would never win it back. He had confidence on his mianwali and peshawar seat but at the end of the day, he lost them both.

 

[Fracker]

ANP and PML-N did rigging to take IK's seats

Any how, if you see the results in numbers of seat it was expected, but Islamabad seat is important for PML-N, also one seat in south Punjab was lost to PPP, which is bad result.

 

[arushbhai]

ye choti choti batain bohot count karti hain

 

[Jzaib]

This is the problem, PTIian can't see beyond their egos and noses. Load-shedding in my city has dropped from 16-18 hours a day to 6-7 hours a day.

I didnt expected this answer from u ..u know already it is just bcoz of the rains that dams are full and AC's are off ... nothng to do with genration or anythng else ..

 

[Edevelop]

I didnt expected this answer from u ..u know already it is just bcoz of the rains that dams are full and AC's are off ... nothng to do with genration or anythng else ..

After payment of circular debt, 1700 MW has been added to national grid and moreover, the electricity thieves are being cracked down everyday

 

[Jzaib]

ye choti choti batain bohot count karti hain

bhie kahan count karti hain ..count karti hoti tu fake flood relief camps b matter kartay .. 6 months bijli k waday b matter kartay .. we are a fedual society .. votes in rural areas are for cast and candidate not for the parties .. we have accept u have more candidates which have no affliation what so ever with PML N .. they were the same guys who joined musharraf when nawaz sharif was put in jail. In ur prestent MPAs 1000 plus is from pml n q .. we fleed many new candidates which lost but it our ideology to give chance to new people and youth ..

After payment of circular debt, 1700 MW has been added to national grid and moreover, the electricity thieves are being crackdown

should i brng the the clipping when the payment was given and had no effect at all ... DAms are full and AC's are off .. are u denying the fact ? the weather is hgetting better electricty bills is going down bcoz ppl dnt use that much electricty in this season