ISLAMABAD: According to unofficial results released on late Saturday night Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the main opposition party, has won the hotly-contested National Assembly seat in the populous Punjab province.
Tens of thousands voted to elect their new representative for the NA-75 seat from Daska, a small town in Sialkot district, on Saturday after it fell vacant following the death of opposition lawmaker Syed Iftikharul Hassan Shah last year.
The country’s election authorities held a by-poll in the area last February, but later declared the contest null and void due to widespread irregularities that the PML-N blamed on the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
The Election Commission of Pakistan suspected back in February that the results of 20 polling stations had been falsified.
Saturday’s electoral contest was largely believed to be between PML-N candidate Nosheen Iftikhar and PTI ticket holder Ali Asjad Malhi, though other politicians also participated in it.
Pakistani election authorities informed a local news channel earlier that they had tried to provide a free and fair environment to hold a transparent election.
“Rangers are on patrol duty, ensuring the transportation of election staff and material, while army troops have been stationed in Daska Stadium and will be available on call,” Dawn newspaper reported. “To make the conduct of the re-poll transparent, CCTV cameras have been installed at 47 sensitive polling stations, out of a total 360.”
