SIALKOT: The PML-N swept the Sialkot district and won all the five NA seats and eight, of 11, PA seats in the general elections PML-N candidate for NA-72 Armughan Subhani defeated Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) stalwart Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan with a big margin of 37,648 votes, according to unofficial results. Mr Subhani got 129,041 votes while Dr Awan stood runner-up with 91,393 votes.

PTI’s disgruntled leaders former speaker Chaudhry Ameer Hussain and former district nazim Mian Naeem Javaid opposed her in the poll while her weak candidates in the provincial constituencies - Mirza Dilawar Baig (PP 34) and Saeed Ahmed Bhalli (PP-38) - were other major factors behind her defeat, say people of the area. PML-N’s Khush Akhtar Subhani won PP-38.

In NA-73, PML-N’s heavy weight Khawaja Muhammad Asif remained unbeatable, as he defeated PTI’s Usman Dar in a neck-and-neck contest. Mr Asif got 116,967 votes while Mr Dar got 115,464 votes. It is the sixth consecutive victory of Mr Asif.

In Pasrur city’s NA-74, PML-N’s Ali Zahid Hamid defeated PTI’s Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas with a margin of 3,803 votes. Mr Hamid and Mr Abbas got 97,237 and 93,434 votes.

In Daska city’s NA-75, PML-N candidate Syed Iftikharul Hassan Shah defeated PTI’s Ali Asjad Malhi with a margin of 40,239 votes. It is the third consecutive victory of Mr Shah who this time got 101,671 votes while Mr Malhi was struggling with 61,432 votes.

In Sambrial city’s NA-76, PML-N’s Rana Shamim Ahmed defeated PTI’s retired Brig Muhammad Aslam with a margin of 40,474 votes and made his third consecutive victory here. According to unofficial results, the PML-N candidate got 133,664 votes while the rival got 93,190 votes here.

In PP-36, PTI’s Chaudhry Ikhlaq Ahmed (51,465 votes) defeated PML-N’s Chaudhry Muhammad Ikram (42,480 votes). In PP-39, independent candidate Rana Liaqat won the seat by defeating PML-N’s Mirza Altaf Husain with a margin of 12 votes here. The winner got 31,086 votes and the runner-up 31,074 votes. In PP-41, PML-Q’s Bao Muhammad Rizwan, supported by the PTI, defeated PML-N’s Syed Attaul Hassan Shah. Mr Rizwan got 32,677 votes while PML-N’s candidate got 26,869 votes here. PML-N candidates Rana Arif Iqbal Harnah won the PP-35 poll, Mansha Ullah Butt PP-37, Khush Akhtar Subhani PP-38, Rana Muhammad Afzal PP-40, Mian Zeeshan Rafiq PP-42 Chaudhry Naveed Ahsraf PP-43, Arshad Javaid Warrich PP-44 and Rana Abdul Sattar PP-45.

Though PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif has rejected the results, thousands of jubilant PML-N workers were on roads to celebrate the victory of their candidates in the district.

Similarly, hundreds of charged PTI workers were also on the roads in the Sialkot city to lodge their protest against results, calling the results work of “aliens”.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2018