ATTOCK, Feb 26: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) did not only lose provincial assembly seat PP-18 Attock-IV in the by-election but also suffered a decline in its popularity from first to third position in the constituency.

In contrast PML-N candidate Malik Mohammad Azam Khan won the seat with 48,476 votes after a tough contest against independent candidate Malik Amanat Khan from Major Group of former district nazim Maj (retired) Tahir Sadiq Khan who turned out to be the runner-up with 40,258 votes.

As per unofficial result issued by Election Commission of Pakistan on Sunday, the PPP candidate Malik Sameen Khan stood third by obtaining 25,604 votes.

Voting figures reveal that PPP has also lost about 55 per cent of its voters despite support of ruling party’s leadership including MNA Sardar Saleem Haider Khan as earlier in the same constituency, former PPP MPA Khurram Ali Khan obtained 56,682 votes in 2008’s general election against 48,793 votes of his rival candidate Col (retired) Malik Mohammad Anwar of the then ruling PML-Q.

In all 122,239 votes were polled in the by-election against 195,883 registered votes. As many as 120,082 votes were declared valid while 2,157 votes were rejected. The polling turnout remained 62.40 per cent.

It is worth mentioning here that earlier the PPP had won two provincial assembly constituencies – PP-15, Attock-I and PP-18, Attock-IV and a National Assembly seat NA-58, Attock-II in 2008, out of a total of five PP and three NA seats in the district.

PML-N has now grip over majority — four PP seats — and only one seat is left with the ruling PPP.