SIALKOT: The results of the NA-75 in Daska by-polls were withheld by the returning officer on the PML-N’s request amid a controversy surrounding 23 presiding officers who had allegedly gone missing.
In a late-night development, police had retrieved the officers and brought them to the office of the district returning officer where leaders of PML-N and PTI were also present. In two other constituencies, the PTI lost the PP-51 Gujranwala-I and PK-63 Nowshera-III seats, while the PTI bagged the NA-45 Kurram seat defeating the JUI-F candidate.
Senior PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said the results of NA-75 polling stations citing “gross irregularties” and requested the ECP to withhold the results. He demanded a forensic audit be conducted or re-polling be done in these polling stations.
In an application to the chief election commissioner, he asked that the result for NA-75 be withheld till the “investigation of 23 missing presiding officers abducted by administration and determination of authenticity of results submitted by them”.
Application to Chief Election Commissioner to withhold NA75 result till investigation of 23 missing Presiding Officers abducted by administration & determination of authencity of results submitted by them by PMLN candidate Nosheen Iftikhar. Gross irregularities. pic.twitter.com/N2UCnRzoGC
— Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) February 20, 2021
Meanwhile, Punjab government spokesperson Firdous Ashiq Awan claimed a victory 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.
According to the unofficial and preliminary, results, PML-N candidate Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar is in the lead by a considerable margin in the NA-75 Sialkot by-polls. The PML-N is in the lead with 74,165 votes while PTI candidate Ali Asjad Khan has so far obtained 69,870 votes.
By-polls were also held in NA-45 Kurram-I, PP-51 Gujranwala-I and PK-63 Nowshera-III. Unofficial results obtained for Kurram showed that PTI candidate Malik Fakhar Zaman is ahead with 13,992 votes. Independent candidate Haji Syed Jamal is close behind with 13,579 votes.
Unofficial results from all polling stations of the Gujranwala constituency showed that PML-N’s Begum Talat Mahmood has won with 53,903 votes. PTI’s Chaudhry Yousuf came in second place with 48,484 votes.
PML-N activists celebrated even though officially declared by the Election Commission. PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz expressed gratitude and shared what she claimed was the “complete result” obtained “despite massive, blatant rigging”.
Unofficial results from all 102 polling stations in the Nowshera constituency showed that PML-N’s Ikhtiyar Wali has won the election with 21,122 votes. PTI’s Mian Umar managed to obtain 17,023 votes, according to the preliminary results.
