Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Sindh General Secretary Waqar Mehdi was elected to the Senate with a clear majority on Tuesday, securing 111 votes against his opponent, Nighat Mirza of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), who managed just 36.
The by-election was held to fill the general Senate seat left vacant following the passing of senior PPP leader Senator Taj Haider.
The voting took place at the Sindh Assembly building, which had been designated as the polling station for the day.
According to Sindh election commissioner Ejaz Anwar Chauhan, polling commenced at 9am and continued uninterrupted until 4pm. Out of 161 eligible members of the Sindh Assembly, 149 cast their votes.
Two ballots were rejected due to incorrect markings. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah cast the final vote before the polling window closed.
PPP's dominant presence in the Sindh Assembly, where it holds 116 seats, gave the party a comfortable edge over its rivals. MQM holds 36 seats, while five members are allied with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami holds one.
The minimum threshold required for victory was 81 votes, a mark PPP crossed with ease.
The by-election injected rare political activity and a sense of buzz into the otherwise subdued Sindh Assembly premises.
Following the conclusion of polling, vote counting began immediately, and the result was officially announced by the Returning Officer and provincial election commissioner, Ejaz Anwar Chauhan.
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