After the unofficial results of eight National Assembly seats and three Punjab Assembly seats, PTI is in the lead, party chairman Imran Khan is ahead in six lower house seats.Counting of votes began at 5 pm after polling – which began at 8 am – was held without a hitch despite intense political activity. Sporadic clashes were reported in some quarters.The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said that overall the polling process was peaceful and the central control room of the commission received 15 complaints of code of conduct violations.
A spokesman for the commission said that most of the complaints were related to clashes between political party workers and other minor issues. “Complaints received were promptly resolved.”The constituencies in which polling is taking place are: NA-22 Mardan-III, NA-24 Charsadda-II, NA-31 Peshawar-V, NA-108 Faisalabad-VIII, NA-118 Nankana Sahib-II, NA- 157 Multan-IV. NA 237 Malir II, NA 239 Korangi, Karachi I.The by-election on NA-45 tribal area seat has been postponed due to law and order situation.
The lower house seats fell vacant after National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf accepted the resignations of PTI MNAs, nine on general seats and two on reserved seats for women.Apart from this, the by-election is also being held on three seats of Punjab Assembly PP 241 Bahawalnagar V. PP-209 Khanewal-VII, and PP-139 Sheikhupura-V.PTI Chairman Imran Khan is contesting elections on seven out of eight seats in the National Assembly.Prime Minister Shehbaz and Imran ask people for votes.As the polling process began, Khan urged people in the constituencies where the by-elections are being held to turn out in large numbers to vote.He said in a tweet, “This is a referendum by crooks for true freedom. We are all fighting against PDM, EC and ‘unknowns’.”
