October 11, 2002	Friday	Sha'aban 4, 1423

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LAHORE, Oct 10: The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) has emerged as the largest single party in the Punjab capital by winning four out of 13 National Assembly seats and leading in two other constituencies, according to the unofficial results obtained by Dawn in the early hours of Friday.

The PML(N) also helped Jamaat-i-Islami candidate from NA-118, Hafiz Salman Butt, defeat PML(Q) president and prime ministerial aspirant Mian Mohammad Azhar, causing one of the major upsets of the election 2002.

Hafiz Salman was contesting the election as an independent candidate after Majlis-i-Muttahida ticket-holder Hafiz Abdul Wadood refused to withdraw his candidacy in his favour despite strenuous efforts by the Jamaat-i-Islami Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmad and PML(N) President Shahbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif.

The loss of at least 12 out of 13 national seats and defeat of Mian Azhar from the city will prove to be a huge setback for the PML(Q), which was expecting to form government both in the Centre and the province.

The PML(N) candidates who have returned to the National Assembly from the city include its incarcerated acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Khwaja Saad Rafiq from NA-119, Pervez Malik from NA-120, and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq from NA-122. Besides, Akram Zaki is leading his PML(Q) rival Humayun Akhtar from NA-125 and Malik Zaheer Abbas from NA-128.

Moreover, Hafiz Salman, another two candidates belonging to the MMA — Liaquat Baloch from NA-126 and Farid Ahmad Piracha from NA-121 — were also returned to the National Assembly.

The PPP, according to the provisional results, won two seats — Aitzaz Ahsan from NA-124 and Samina Khalid Ghurki from NA-130.

Pakistan Awami Tehrik chairman Tahirul Qadri was stated to be leading his rivals from NA-127 while Major Habibullah Warraich (retired) of the PML(Q) was leading from NA-129. According to reports, around 15 to 20 per cent voters polled their votes in all the 13 constituencies out of a total of three million registered voters.

Most of the polling stations wore rather a deserted look throughout the day.

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