MIANWALI: Voters from the home district of PTI founder Imran Khan have repeated the 2018 general election history as the party-backed independents bagged all (two NA and four PA) seats of the district with an ‘unprecedented’ lead in the absence of a proper campaign.

At NA-89 and 90, PP-85 and 88, the candidates were new entrants in local politics.

Won by Khan for the past several years, the NA-89 returned his old worker Mohammad Jamal Ahsan Khan of Isakhel, who secured record votes of 217,427 against his arch rival, Obaidullah Khan Shadikhel of PML-N who could manage 34,068 votes. This is perhaps the highest win margin with 183,359 votes in Pakistan.

PPP candidate Nawabzada Malik Amir Mohammad Khan bagged only 11,864 votes and another independent Maj retired Khuram Hameed Khan secured 12,444 votes.

Out of two provincial assembly seats (falling under NA-89), PTI worker Maj retired Mohammad Iqbal Khan Khatak secured 92,407 votes and his arch rival and old campaigner Amanatullah Khan Shadikhel of PML-N secured 23,501 votes.

From PP-86, former PTI MPA Ameenullah Khan despite his absence from campaign due to cases registered against him secured 85,318 votes while his arch rival Adil Abdullah Khan Rokri managed 19,794 votes.. In this constituency, there was no PML-N candidate.

NA-90 saw two barristers in contest. Barrister Humair Hayat Khan Rokhri (PML-N), an old campaigner of renowned Rokhri family, secured 51,233 votes while his arch rival, new comer Barrister Umair khan Niazi supported by PTI secured 179,820 to win the election with a big margin.

Of the two provincial seats (falling under NA-90), PP-87 was bagged by former PTI MPA Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar with a big margin as he secured 107,202 votes while his rival Inamullah Khan of PML-N secured 13,465 votes. Another new comer, Sajjad Ahmad Malik (independent), secured 15,691 votes.

PP-88 was won by PTI-backed new comer Mumtaz Ahmed Asar who secured 66,056 votes against old campaigner of PML-N Malik Mohammad Feroze Joyia who got 57,898 votes.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2024