HARIPUR, Nov 5: Independent candidate Gohar Nawaz Khan won the PF-51 Haripur-III by-election by securing 36,413 votes, while his opponent Asad Saeed of PML-N secured 6,224 votes, according to unofficial results. The turnout remained low (36 per cent) as only 42,637 of the registered 119,265 votes were polled.

The by-election in PF-51 Haripur-III was held here on Wednesday amid tight security. However, traditional hustle and bustle was witnessed at the female polling stations of Khalabat Township, the hometown of both the contestants, but luckily there was no report of violence from any of the polling stations of the constituency.

The seat fell vacant following the assassination of MPA Akhtar Nawaz Khan on September 10, and there was one-to-one contest between PML-N’s ticket holder Asad Saeed Khan and independent candidate Goher Nawaz Khan the younger brother of slain MPA Akhtar Nawaz.

There were 96 polling stations including 24 for female voters, 24 for male and 48 combined, established to facilitate the 119,265 registered voters of the constituency and as per security plan prepared by the local police, 43 polling stations were declared as most sensitive, 24 as sensitive and 29 as normal, where about 500 police personnel were deployed to maintain order.

However, except minor scuffles and exchange of hot words among the supporters of candidates, no incident of violence was reported from across the constituency. “Polling started by 8am peacefully and no complaint whatsoever received from any of the polling stations regarding disturbance, which indicates that the arrangements made by the election commission and other allied agencies are accurate and correct,” said Khalid Waheed, assistant election commissioner, Haripur, while talking to reporters.

While Mian Raza Hussain, the superintendent Police Operation Haripur claimed that foolproof security arrangements were made and all the sensitive polling stations were deployed with police personnel to ensure by-elections were held free and in a peaceful way. Meanwhile, the polling started as per schedule at the polling stations, but the voters’ turnout in the rural areas remained abysmally low.