LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Unofficial results from the polling stations in the by-elections for the PP-149 constituency reveal a landslide victory for Shoaib Siddiqui of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).
With an impressive turnout, Siddiqui secured a total of 39,137 votes, establishing himself as the clear frontrunner.
Following closely behind, Zeeshan Rasheed of the Sunni Ittehad Council emerged as the second-place contender with 23,665 votes.
Siddiqui’s lead over his closest competitor is substantial, standing at 15,472 votes according to the unofficial results.
While these results are yet to be confirmed, they offer insight into the prevailing sentiments of the electorate in PP-149 and signify shifts in the political landscape of the region.
The by-elections covered five constituencies of the National Assembly and 16 seats of three provincial assemblies.
Reports from various polling stations indicated a varied voter turnout, with some experiencing high numbers while others remained relatively quiet even hours into the polling process.
Meanwhile, in a significant upset, former Punjab chief minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed (PTI) candidate Pervaiz Elahi, running from PP-32, suffered defeat in Gujarat as Musa Elahi from the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) clinched victory.
Musa Elahi secured an impressive 63,536 votes, according to unofficial results, while Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi could get only 18,237 votes, as per the unofficial count.
This outcome represents a notable change in Gujarat’s political dynamics, indicating a shift in representation for the constituency.
Meanwhile, unofficial and preliminary results indicate that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has emerged as the front-runner in the by-polls held for nearly two dozen national and provincial seats on Sunday.
Out of the 21 national and provincial seats, PML-N has secured 4 seats from Punjab, which is its stronghold.
The Sharif-led party also claimed victory in one provincial assembly seat from Balochistan and one national assembly seat from Lahore.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
