Results announced amidst rigging allegations

The PML-N won the elections in Bahawalpur district, with candidates securing four out of five National Assembly seats. The PML-Q’s Tariq Bashir Cheema won the one remanining seat. Of the ten provincial assembly seats in the district, the PML-N won six, the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) won two and the Nawab Group and a PTI-backed candidate won one seat each.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates have been accused of rigging the election results. PTI workers and citizens led by Samiullah Chaudhry, Asghar Joya and Ahmed Usman Chand staged a sit-in outside the DC office. Political circles alleged that the election results have been rigged on a large scale.

Read: ECP official says result compilation takes time

In NA 164, PML-N candidate Riyaz Hussain Pirzada won with 123,360 votes, while PTI-backed independent candidate Malik Ijaz Ahmed Guddan came second with 117,140 votes. In NA166, PML-N candidate Sami-ul-Hasan Gelani won with 62,148 votes, while Nawab Group’s Bahawal Abbasi came second with 48,599 votes. In NA 167, PML-N’s Usman Owaisi won with 88,503 votes, while Nawab Group’s Malik Amir Yar was second with 63,670 votes.

From NA 168, PML-N candidate Malik Iqbal Chanar stood first with 124,529 votes, while PTI-backed independent candidate Samiullah Chaudhry stood second with 52,270 votes. From NA 165, PML-Q candidate Tariq Bashir Cheema won with 116,554 votes, while independent candidate Saud Majeed stood second with 105,313 votes.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th 2024.