NA-151 by-polls: Abdul Qadir Gilani wins with 64,628 votes

Independent candidate Shaukat Bosan loses with 60,532 votes.

MULTAN: Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Abdul Qadir Gilani won the NA-151 Multan by-elections with 64,628 votes on Thursday, reported Express News. Independent candidate Shaukat Hayat Bosan lost the elections with 60,532 votes, according to unofficial results.

At least 245 polling stations were set-up for the by-polls.

Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, and Minister Information Qamar Zaman Kaira congratulated Abdul Qadir Gilani on the victory. Ashraf said conducting free and fair by-elections in NA-151 were a good omen for democracy in Pakistan.

President Zardari also felicitated former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on his son's electoral victory.

The NA-151 seat had fallen vacant after former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was disqualified from his post by the Supreme Court in a contempt of court case earlier this year. Gilani’s son Abdul Qadir Gilani was selected by the ruling PPP to contest on the seat.

Malik Ishaq Bucha was also supposed to be running for the seat from Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), but he left his party to join the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) earlier this month. The PML-N then announced its support for Bosan, who is the brother of Sikandar Bosan of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

Sikandar Bosan had also taken back his nomination papers after his party decided to boycott the by-elections.