The Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) retained its grip on its National Assembly seat, NA-193, Rajanpur on Sunday, according to unofficial and unconfirmed results.
According to the preliminary results of all 237 polling stations, PTI candidate Mohsin Laghari got 90 thousand 392 votes and was declared successful. His nearest competitor, Ammar Laghari of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), secured 55,218 votes and finished second.
The seat fell vacant after the death of Sardar Muhammad Jafar Khan Leghari, who was elected MNA on a PTI ticket.
Earlier, polling started at 8 am and continued till 5 pm without any break. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) allowed voters inside the polling stations to vote beyond the 5 pm deadline.
The Punjab Home Department had requested the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to postpone the by-elections due to security concerns, but the Election Commission rejected the request.
The ECP, in a statement issued this morning, said that a control room has been set up at its secretariat to monitor the election and redress complaints related to polling.
According to the electoral body, 11 candidates are contesting in the by-election while there are 379,204 registered voters in the constituency, of which 206,497 are male and 172,709 are female voters.
The ECP said that 237 polling stations have been set up in the constituency, where police personnel have been deployed for security. Meanwhile, 200 personnel of the Punjab Rangers are also on duty as a quick response force, the election body said, adding that strict action will be taken against those violating the election code of conduct or disrupting the polling process.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had nominated Mohsin Leghari to contest the by-election in NA-193 of Rajanpur after PTI chief Imran Khan filed his nomination papers fearing disqualification in the Terrian White case. were taken back.
Meanwhile, Amar Owais Leghari is contesting on the ticket of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Akhtar Hasan Gurchani on the ticket of Pakistan Peoples Party.
This seat fell vacant after the death of PTI MLA Jafar Khan Leghari. He died in Lahore on 31 December 2022 after a long illness.
