PML-N emerges victorious in Pakistan's by-elections: Reports
What's the story
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has secured a majority in the recent by-elections, unofficial results released on Monday showed. The party reportedly won two national and 10 provincial assembly seats. By-elections in Pakistan were held on Sunday across 21 national and provincial assembly seats, with stringent security measures in place. Amidst threat of unrest, cellular and internet services in certain districts were temporarily suspended to maintain law and order.
Election participation
Major political parties participate, one boycotts
Several major political parties contested the by-elections, including the PM Shehbaz Sharif-led PML-N, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). However, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman chose to boycott the polls. The Election Committee of Pakistan (ECP) is yet to release official results but private media channels have reported outcomes based on individual polling station results.
Preliminary outcomes
Unofficial results indicate PML-N's majority win
According to Dunya News channel, the PML-N secured two National Assembly seats while the PPP, the SIC, and an independent candidate each won one seat. Preliminary results suggest that the PML-N bagged 10 out of 16 seats in the provincial assemblies, including nine from Punjab and one from Balochistan. The PPP, the SIC, the Istehkam Pakistan Party, the Pakistan Muslim League, the Balochistan National Party, and an independent candidate each won a single seat in the provincial assemblies.
Election day
Isolated incidents of violence amidst maintained order
While authorities pulled all stops to maintain law and order, isolated incidents of violence took place, including a case where a PML-N supporter was killed following a clash with PTI voters in Narowal area of Punjab. Polls were canceled for one National Assembly, two Punjab Assembly, and one Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly seat. The violence mirror disturbances that took place in February during Pakistan general elections, conducted to elect representatives for the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies.
Election background
By-elections organized for vacated seats
Candidates who won more than one seat in the general elections opted for a chosen seat, leading the Election Commission of Pakistan to organize by-elections on 21 seats, including five National and 16 provincial assembly seats. In Punjab, NA-132 (Kasur) and NA-119 (Lahore) were vacated by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Sharif also relinquished two of his provincial assembly seats in Lahore but retained his NA-123 seat in the National Assembly.