PML-N's Hina Arshad Warraich was leading with 78,702 votes in PP-52 Sialkot by-elections, according to unofficial and incomplete results from 165 out of 185 polling stations received in the late hours of Sunday.
Hina was fielded as the ruling party's candidate in the by-elections announced after the death of MPA Chaudhry Arshad Warraich who had won the seat in the Feb 8 general elections on the PML-N's ticket.
Hina held a clear lead over candidates from other parties including the PTI-backed independent candidate Fakhar Nishat Ghumman, who secured 39,018 votes, according to the unofficial tally.
Speaking to a private TV channel, Hina said the people did not elect her for politics but for service. "I stand here today because of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz," she stated.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, who also belongs to Sialkot, visited the residence of Hina Warraich.
Addressing party workers, he thanked those who participated in the election campaign across Punjab, adding that based on results from 165 polling stations, Hina is securing a decisive victory. "Sialkot was, is, and will remain a stronghold of the PML-N," he said.
PTI's Central Secretary for Information Sheikh Waqas Akram, during a press conference in Islamabad, however, alleged that the by-election in PP-52 Sambrial witnessed "thuggery under police patronage".
"The turnout at our rally in Sambrial was unforgettable. People came out early in the morning to protect the mandate, but the PML-N's goons resorted to violence," he claimed.
He alleged that under police protection, PTI supporters were forcibly removed from polling stations and subjected to violence. "PML-N forcibly entered polling stations and cast fake votes," he said.
PPP Central Punjab President Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also accused the PML-N of resorting to rigging in a press conference held in Sambrial.
"The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) must take notice of the rigging in the PP-52 by-election. Our polling agents and workers were attacked in Roliya, Begowal, Mitranwali, and Babundoki Chamiyan.
"Local PML-N leadership should not have resorted to such actionsthis undermines the credibility of the entire electoral process," he added. "Elections should be free and fair. Our people were harassed and forced out of polling stations."
PPP General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza also claimed that the PML-N cannot contest elections "without siding with the umpires". The 2024 elections, he said, witnessed the worst rigging in history."
After the press conference, the ECP issued a statement describing Raja Pervaiz Ashraf's allegations of rigging in PP-52 Sialkot as baseless. It advised PPP leaders to file a formal complaint with solid evidence.
"The ECP will address all complaints promptly," it said, adding that the reports about the administration shutting down various polling stations are completely false.
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