LAHORE: The ruling Pakistan People’s Party and the Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League won one seat each in the by-election for two seats of the Punjab Assembly.
According to unofficial result, Mir Badshah Qaisarani of the PML-N won the by-election in PP-240 (Dera Ghazi Khan), while PPP candidate Mujtaba Ahmad Gilani defeated his rival in PP-206 (Multan-13).
Unofficial results show that Qaiserani got 53,188 votes, while his rival independent candidate Salahuddin Akbar bagged with 3050 votes.
Besides Qaisrani, two independent candidates – Khawaja Salahuddin Akbar and Dilshad Ahmad Shaheen – were also in the race for PP-240 (Dera Ghazi Khan).
In PP-206 (Multan-13), PPP candidate Mujtaba Ahmad Gilani, who is also the brother of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, defeated PML-N nominee Naghma Mushtaq.
Gilani secured 37,384 votes, while his rival Naghma Laang bagged 31,343 votes.
Earlier in the day, polling was temporarily stopped at the Pirwala polling station in PP-206 following clashes between supporters of the PML-N and the PPP. Five people were injured in the exchange of fire between the two sides.
Polling resumed after the PML-N candidate reached the polling station, where she accused PPP candidate Gilani of rigging. Speaking at the polling station, Laang said: “My campaigners have been injured and kidnapped. I concede defeat but I cannot accept threats. There will be retaliation to everything. If people die here, people will die there as well.”
The Prime Minister’s media coordinator Khawaja Rizwan Alam rejected Naghma Laag’s allegations. He alleged that PPP workers were manhandled by PML-N supporters.
In PP-240, the son of PML-N candidate Mir Badshah Qaisrani was caught on tape repeatedly casting votes at a polling station. The boy was seen repeatedly casting votes in a ballot box, which had been left lying open on one side.
In the video aired by Express 24/7, the polling staff appear to be helping the boy by providing him with a voting stamp and ballot papers.
Despite the video footage, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told journalists at Jalalpur Pirwala that only people eligible to vote were allowed to enter polling stations.
The minister claimed that the PM’s son was seen with weapons at some polling stations. He blamed the opposition for creating problems in areas where the PML-N has a high number of voters. (WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM WIREs)
Published in the Express Tribune, June 6th, 2010.
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