PML-N has requested ECP to withhold results of NA-75 by-polls for investigation of 23 presiding officer who reportedly had “gone missing”.
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Feb 20th, 2021) Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) defeated ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf on PP-51 Gujranwala-I and PK-63 Nowshera-III seats, according to unofficial and unverified results.
Meanwhile, PTI bagged victory on NA 45 Kurram-I seat by defeating JUI-F candidate.
According to the latest reports, PML-N requested Election Commission to withhold results of NA-75 by-polls because of controversy involving 23 presiding officers who had allegedly “gone missing”.
Police said that 23 polling officials had stuck in far-flung areas of the constituency due to dense fog. However, some other reports said that police had retrieved the officials and brought them to the office of the district returning officer where leaders of both PML-N and PTI were present.
A local tv reported that PML-N’s candidate with 97, 588 votes is leading as PTI candidate Ali Asjad Khan could get 94, 541 votes so far.
The Returning Officer withheld the final results of the constituency which would be announced by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
“The results of NA-75 polling stations are doubtful and requested the ECP to withhold the results,” said Advocate Ahsan Iqbal.
Ahsan Iqbal also asked ECP that the results for NA-75 should be withheld till investigation of 23 missing presiding officers abducted by administration. He said that authenticity of results should be determined. Ahsan Iqbal asked the ECP to conduct forensic audit or re-polling be done in these polling stations.
According to Firdous Ashiq Awan, PTI won with a margin of 7,827 votes and blamed PML-N of hooliganism and taking the RO hostage to stop him from announcing the results.
In NA-45 Kurram-I, PTI candidate Malik Fakhar Zaman won the election with 16, 911 votes and JUI-F’s Jameel Chamkani bagged 15, 761 votes while Independent candidate Haji Syed Jamal received 15,560 votes.
JUI-F FATA chief Mufti Abdul Shakoor said rigging will not be accepted at any cost and vowed to challenge the results.
Unofficial results showed that PML-N’s Begum Talat Mahmood won with 53, 903 votes in PP-51 Gujranwala by defeating PTI’s candidate Chaudhary Yousuf who could get 48, 484 votes. On PK-63 Nowshera-III, Ikhtiyar Wali of PML-N won with 21, 122 votes while PTI’s Mian Umer could get 17, 0 23 votes as per unofficial results.
