ISLAMABAD: There was a 58pc turnout in the elections in the three constituencies of the federal capital, with 445,827 residents of the city exercising their right to vote.

A total of 66 candidates contested the elections in NA-52, NA-53 and NA-54 with 31 of these from NA-53.

All three National Assembly seats were won by the PTI, with Raja Khurram Nawaz winning from NA-52, Imran Khan winning from NA-53 and Asad Umar from NA-54.

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) data shows that out of the total polled votes, PTI received 214,526 in the three constituencies, amounting to 48.11pc.

The PTI was followed by PML-N which received 110,824 votes which is 24.85pc and then PPP, which received 56,061 votes in the three constituencies, amounting to 12.57pc of the polled votes.

48.11pc of the 445,827 votes polled were received by PTI, religious parties fail to make impact in capital

The data shows that religious political parties could not get voter attention in the capital city. The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA)- an alliance of five religious political parties- and the Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) managed to get 39,804 votes or 8.92pc.

The TLP largely divided the votes of right wing political parties, mainly PML-N, in a large number of National Assembly constituencies. However, its candidates did not have a major effect on any political party in Islamabad.

According to ECP data, PTI candidates in all three constituencies won without facing any serious resistance.

The party’s chief, Imran Khan won in NA-53 by getting 92,891 votes, giving a lead of 48,577 to the PML-N candidate, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who received 44,314 votes.

PPP’s Sibtul Haider Bokhari came third with 17,970 votes.

In NA-54, Asad Umar received 56,945 votes while PML-N’s Anjum Aqeel Khan got 32,991 and PPP’s Imran Ashraf got 4,019. MMA candidate Mian Aslam got 6,745.

In NA-52, PTI’s Raja Khurram Nawaz, who contested the general elections after resigning from his union council chairman seat, also faced no serious competition from his opponents as he secured 64,690 votes. PPP candidate Mohammad Afzal Khokar was the runner up in this constituency with 34,072 votes while PML-N candidate, former federal minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry got 33,519 votes.

Other than party votes, in NA-52, there was also a contest between three clans- the Khokhars, Rajas and Chaudhrys and the turnout in this constituency was 64.26pc, compared to 56.53pc in NA-53 and 54.24pc in NA-54.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2018