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• Ruling party secures 82pc votes in PA polls, 64pc in NA constituencies
• ECP withholds victory notification of minister’s brother
LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: As it emerged victorious in all the seats, the ruling PML-N secured close to 64 per cent of the total votes polled in the by-elections for six National Assembly constituencies held on Sunday.
Five constituencies were located in Punjab and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These seats, except for one, were vacated due to the disqualification of the opposition PTI MNAs.
The PML-N bagged 564,400 votes out of a total 883,108 or 63.91pc of the votes cast for the six National Assembly seats. In a surprising outcome, the PML-N also snatched from the PTI the NA-18 seat (Haripur, KP) against all expectations. Political analysts had been hoping that at least this seat would be retained by the PTI because of certain factors, including that KP is being ruled by the PTI, so there were minimal chances of rigging in the constituency.
Former opposition leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub’s wife was contesting against little-known Babar Nawaz Khan of the PML-N.
Likewise, the PML-N clinched from the PTI the NA-129 (Lahore-XIII) seat, vacated after the death of MNA Miaz Azhar, former Punjab governor and father of PTI leader Hammad Azhar. Mr Azhar’s nephew Arsalan was facing PML-N’s Hafiz Nauman here. Both represented the Arain clan, which constitutes the majority of the voters in the constituency.
The PML-N won six out of seven Punjab Assembly seats in the province by securing 82.41pc of the polled votes. About the seventh seat, it had not fielded its candidate in PP-269, Muzaffargarh, against PPP nominee Alamdar Qureshi. The PML-N bagged 327,087 votes out of 396,879 votes cast for six Punjab Assembly seats.
“Now the PPP cannot blackmail the PML-N for the passage of the annual federal budget,” Dr Rashid Ahmad Khan, former head of Punjab University’s Political Science Department, told Dawn, referring to the simple majority the PML-N would attain in the National Assembly after grabbing the six NA seats.
Discussing the factors about the defeat of the PTI in NA-18, he said the voters were alienated, believing that when their ballots were not “honoured” in the 2024 general elections, it would serve no purpose this time either. Also, it became clear that the PTI leadership without Imran Khan was unable to mobilise supporters, he added.
Endorsing his views, Pakistan Study Centre Director Dr Amjad Magsi said that the PTI leadership was not clear-headed and failed to fully run the election campaign, while the lack of its traditional election symbol also played a role in the defeat. He said the turnout in the by-elections was low due to disappointment among the PTI supporters.
ECP to withhold notification
Separately, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday decided to withhold the victory notification of Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry’s brother Bilal Badar Chaudhry over the minister’s alleged violation of the code of conduct.
A four-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja took up
the case for hearing. Talal Chaudhry, who had been summoned, did not turn up. During the hearing, the bench observed that the state minister clearly violated the code of conduct.
It was emphasised that, as per the code, the minister was not authorised to participate in any election campaign and that strict action should be taken against him. The CEC remarked that Mr Chaudhry did not even bother to appear before the bench.
In response, the minister’s lawyer said that his client would appear before the commission. Later, the Election Commission exempted him from attendance for the first hearing. The CEC clarified that Bilal Chaudhry was not being disqualified; only the notification of his victory would be withheld. The hearing was adjourned till December 2. Talal’s brother won from NA-96 (Faisalabad) in the by-election held on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Special Assistant to PM Huzaifa Rehman has tendered an unconditional apology to the Election Commission over violating the code of conduct in the Dera Ghazi Khan by-election.
A four-member commission headed by the CEC heard the case of violation of the code of conduct, and during the hearing, Huzaifa Rehman, replying to a remark by the chief election commissioner, said he always abides by the law. “If the election code of conduct was violated, I apologise unconditionally. I attended and spoke at a musical night, not at the corner meeting,” he clarified. The CEC directed that the documents of the case be handed over to Huzaifa Rehman so that he could submit a formal response. The Election Commission adjourned the hearing of the case.
The Election Commission will resume hearing today (Tuesday) in connection with the alleged violation of the code of conduct and election laws by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. Notices have been already issued to the chief minister as well as candidates for the by-election Shernaz Omar Khan and PML-N’s Babar Nawaz from NA-18, Haripur. The KP CM, who had been exempted from personal appearance during the last hearing, has been summoned to appear in person.
Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2025
