GUJRAT: The PML-N has clinched another Punjab Assembly seat from the PTI in the by-election for PP-27 (Pind Dadan Khan) Jhelum as Haji Nasir Lilla of the PML-N has been declared winner in the final result after the votes recount.

Though the by-election was held on Oct 14 and the PML-N had won the seat but the result was withheld after the runner-up applied for the recount since the victory margin was very slim. The margin for the PML-N nominee has been reduced to 438 votes compared to earlier 656 votes. After the recount, the winning candidate has 61,139 votes whereas he had obtained 61,542 votes as per initial results.

The application for the recount was filed by the PTI’s Raja Shahnawaz whose votes too reduced to 60,701 from earlier announced 60,886 votes. The number of invalid votes has increased from 1,554 to 2,401 in the recount as the total number of valid votes is now 124,806 from earlier 125,391 votes.

The PP-27 was vacated by Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry who retained NA-67 Jhelum.

The PML-N workers from across the Jhelum district gathered in Pind Dadan Khan to celebrate the victory of the party candidate after a very tough competition. As the party had lost three PA seats and both NA seats of the district in the general election, the win on a PA seat has brought consolation for the party workers.

Jhelum had always been a PML-N stronghold until 2018 election. It had won both the NA and four PA seats in 2008 and 2013 elections.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2018