Imran Khan’s team outplays rivals in crucial Punjab by-elections
Imran Khan gestures during an election campatin in Multan. Twitter photo
Tariq Butt, Correspondent
As the results of crucial by-elections on 20 Punjab Assembly seats continued to trickle in late on Sunday, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) has emerged victorious in the majority of the seats.
According to the unofficial and inconclusive results, the Imran Khan-led party has secured 16 seats while it has a clear lead in five other constituencies.
According to the unofficial and inconclusive results received so far, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won only one of the four seats in Lahore while it has an advantage in two other constituencies. In a major upset, the PTI won three out of four constituencies in Lahore in by-elections.
The polling continued till 5pm in most districts with Section 144 implemented to establish law and order in the province on Sunday.
Thanking its voters and supporters, the PTI on its official Twitter handle said, “Shukriya Pakistan, the fascist imported government has been defeated!”
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has "conceded defeat and congratulated" its arch-rival Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on victory in crucial by-elections on Punjab Assembly’s 20 seats.
In a tweet from her official handle, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz, who spearheaded her party’s by-election campaign, said the ruling party should accept the election results with an open heart.
“One should bow before the decision of the people. Winning and losing is the part of the politics,” she added.
Maryam also called for carrying out introspection saying efforts should be made to identify and overcome shortcomings. "God willing, everything will be fine."
Former Punjab government minister Malik Mohammad Ahmed, who stepped down just days ahead of the by-polls to run the election campaign, accepted the defeat, saying that the PTI has secured a “landslide victory” in the make-or-break by-elections.
“We wholeheartedly accept the opinion of the people," he said while speaking to a local TV channel.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan said his party is winning at least 15 seats of the provincial assembly. “But it is very important for all our people on duty in all polling stations not to leave their posts till official results have been obtained from the Returning Officers,” he added in a tweet.
Voting began at 8am and despite some incidents of clashes, the process did not stop and continued till 5pm.
Clashes and scuffles between the workers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PTI were reported in certain areas of the 20 constituencies of the Punjab Assembly where the polling was held for these by-elections.
Tension and clashes were reported in Jhang, Multan, Lahore and Sheikhupura districts of Punjab province. Some workers were injured in the fracas.
A fight broke out between political workers at the polling station of Panjar in Rawalpindi as well.
Punjab Home Minister Attaullah Tarar took notice of the dispute that broke out in PP-158 Lahore. He said the PTI’s Jamshed Iqbal Cheema and Saeed Mahis seriously injured a PML-N worker. Orders for the arrest of the PTI leader were issued.
Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, whose son, a member of the National Assembly, who is contesting a Multan seat, raided a ginning factory, owned by PTI candidate from Muzaffargarh Moazzam Jatoi, alleging that rigging was taking place there.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s Chief of Staff Dr Shahbaz Gill, protected by the personnel of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Frontier Constabulary (FC), also reached the factory. The police sought the permission of the FC to be in Punjab and said they would be sent back in the absence of permission. The FC vehicles had no registration plates, officials said.
Gill alleged that attempts to rig the election were underway as "police clearly acts as a PML-N wing.” He claimed that the councilor in the PTI camp had been "threatened and then arrested” as he shared a video of the incident.
In a tweet he claimed that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was complicit in the attempts to hijack the election as he alleged: "four million voters were falsely recorded dead and the names from voter lists were added to other constituencies." He accused the electoral watchdog of altering voter lists "if there is a name on the list, it is not allowed to vote."
The ECP rejecting the PTI leader’s claims said that the "CEC has issued clear directives to Chief Secretary Punjab and IG Punjab that no retaliatory action should be taken against any civilians or ordinary persons otherwise the ECP will take strict action”. He had also ordered "all possible measures to be taken to ensure transparent polling in Punjab.”
The presiding officers barred the media from covering by-elections in PP-7 Kahuta, Rawalpindi. They said that the media was not allowed to enter the stations because of "orders from above” but added that "Rawalpindi media representatives can come without their cameras”. They warned that "police will be called if media representatives attempt recording footage of the polling booth.”
Around 4.58 million voters, including 2.19 million women, are eligible to exercise their right to vote in today’s by-elections. The ECP established 3,131 polling stations in these 20 constituencies, out of which 676 have been declared highly sensitive and 1,194 sensitive.
As the chief election commissioner (CEC) urged voters to "vote for their favourite candidates today” in a bid to "not only strengthen democracy but also bless Pakistan with stability”, he also directed law enforcement agencies to "not allow any violations of law or violent incidents.”
The CEC ordered law enforcement to "take immediate and strict action without discrimination” should any violations occur. He also issued directives that "if an incident occurs where the election commission is the competent authority, the case should be registered with the commission immediately.”
