ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Thursday congratulated PPP candidate Usman Bhatti on winning by election in PP-194 in Multan.

Speaking to Pakistan Television (PTV), he said that reposing full confidence in the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) candidate is a good gesture by people of South Punjab.

Party's candidate Usman Bhatti won the bye elections in PP-194 defeating his political rival Moeenuddin Riaz Qureshi of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N.)

According to unofficial results, Bhatti bagged 20,416 votes while his rival Moeenuddin Riaz got 20,097 votes.

Replying to a question the minister said “It is a strange day in history of the country that on one hand the higher judiciary has given a verdict against the premier while on the other people have supported the candidate of PPP in South Punjab in by-elections.”

Regretting media role against his party, he said that some anti-democratic forces had always worked against the party.

“In the past, some extremist elements had also been targeting the leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party,” he added.

Giving example of the “judicial murder” of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he said that some elements with the support of anti-democratic forces had been working against the party leadership.