BAJAUR: The turnout of voters in the Sunday’s by-election in the district remained slightly lower than Feb 8 general elections, according to poll results.

According to election results based on Form 47, about 28 per cent voters exercised their rights to vote in both the National Assembly constituency NA-8 and provincial assembly constituency PK-22 during by-polls. The overall turnout in the Feb 8 general elections in the district in various constituencies was 29 to 40 per cent.

The total number of registered voters in NA-8 was 667,983 including 365,516 men and 302,476 women. Of them, 135,195 men and 52,106 women took part in the election process.

Likewise, the number of registered voters in provincial assembly constituency PK-22 was 175,837 including 96,978 men and 78,859 women. Only 49,660 of them including 39,059 men and 10,601 women exercised their right to vote in PK-22.

Meanwhile, people continued to visit the house of Mubarakzeb Khan in Khar to congratulate him for winning both NA-8 and PK-22 in the by-elections. On Wednesday, former governor Shaukatullah Khan, who contested by-polls for NA-8 as independent candidate, PPP provincial leader Sayed Akhunzada Chatan, who took part in by-elections as candidate of his party, ANP district president Gul Afzal Khan and several other leaders of various parties visited his residence.

Police have installed a walkthrough gate at the hujra of Mubarakzeb Khan to thwart any unpleasant incident there.

Sources said that Mubarakzeb was likely to join PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council in National Assembly after vacating the seat of provincial assembly.

Akhtar Gul, a local PTI leader, who met with party chairman Gohar Ali Khan on Wednesday, told this scribe that he expressed pleasure over the victory of Mbarakzeb. He quoted the PTI chairman as saying that he had asked Shehryar Afridi to contact Mubarakzeb Khan to join PTI formally.

He said that Mubarakzeb was likely to visit Islamabad on Thursday to meet with PTI central leaders.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2024