CHAKWAL: Despite the disqualification of its chief Nawaz Sharif and Khatm-i-Nubuwat controversy, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz won Chakwal’s by-election by a heavy margin on Tuesday.

According to unofficial results of all 227 polling stations, PML-N’s candidate Chaudhry Sultan Haider Ali got more than 75,000 votes against PTI’s Raja Tariq Mehmood Afzal’s 45,500, while the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah’s candidate Chaudhry Nasir Abbas, stunned political observers by securing 15,978 votes.

“I am thankful to the people of my constituency who voted for me and I am also thankful to my party and my leadership who reposed trust in me,” the excited PML N candidate Chaudhry Sultan Haider Ali said while talking to Dawn. The result proved that the PML-N was still the most popular political party, he added.

As the results poured in, hundreds of PML N workers gathered at the residence of Chaudhry Sultan Haider Ali. The jubilant workers were seen celebrating the victory.

Party’s Haider Ali gets over 75,000 votes against 45,500 of PTI’s Mehmood Afzal

Despite winning the by-election in Chakwal, the PML-N could not get as much votes as it used to receive in the past because its vote bank was damaged by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik.

District Returning Officer Khushal Zada told Dawn that the turnout remained low. “I fear that the turnout would be hardly 40 per cent.” In the last general elections the turnout in the constituency remained 62.48pc.

Later, Maryam Nawaz took to the social media to express her thoughts and criticise her party’s opponents. “One who is made ‘plus’ by Allah and people, cannot be [made] ‘minus’ by anyone. Stop [us] if you can,” she tweeted.

In her other tweets, she lauded “the people’s court” of Chakwal that “declared Nawaz Sharif qualified” for every public office.

“The will of the people is like a stream of running water; it carves its own way, cutting through any obstacle that comes in its way,” she said. “We bow our heads in gratitude to Allah for bestowing yet another victory upon us & humbly thank the ppl of Chakwal for believing in SHER [lion].”

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2018