Winning most of the seats in the 44 by-elections of both the National Assembly and Punjab Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), however, could not compete with the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on the nine Sindh Assembly seats, as it could not find more than one candidate to contest.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Awami National Party (ANP) won more seats against PPP candidates on the 15 by-elections held there for both the lower house and provincial assemblies. In Balochistan, however, more seats went to PPP in by-elections held on 7 seats – both national and provincial.
On the whole, PML-N won 11 seats in the National Assembly, while PPP won 10 in the by-elections held during the five years.
National Assembly
PML-N’s Muhammad Safdar defeated a candidate from Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and an independent candidate. The party’s Haji Pervaiz Khan defeated two independent candidates. Similarly, Muhammad Hamza Shahbaz Sharif clinched victory in Lahore unopposed.
PML-N’s Haji Pervez Malik succeeded from Lahore, defeating a candidate of Pakistan Aman Party and an independent challenger. Nawaz -league’s Sardar Mumtaz Khan from Chakwal defeated ANP’s Commander (retd) Ayub Khan and an independent candidate.
The ten PPP candidates who won by-elections included Khanzada Khan from Mardan who defeated MMA’s Maulana Tajil Amin Jabal and an independent candidate.
In Okara, Khurram Jahangir Wattoo won against two independent candidates, Muhammad Zafar Yasin Wattoo and Jahangir Ahmed Mahar.
PPP’s Faryal Talpur returned unopposed from Larkana-Shikarpur-Kamber seat.
In Multan, former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s son, Syed Ali Musa Gilani, defeated PML-N’s Malik Abdul Ghaffar Dogar.
The ruling party’s Mir Changez Khan Jamali returned unopposed from Nasirabad-Jaffarabad seat.
Pakistan Muslim League-Functional’s (PML-F) Haji Khuda Bux Rajar returned unopposed from Sanghar-Mirpurkhas-Umerkot.
Then PML-Q’s Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Laghari defeated PML-N’s Dr Hafiz Abdul Karim from Muzaffargarh.
Provincial assemblies
PML-N won 28, while PPP took only four provincial assembly seats in Punjab in the by-elections.
PML-N could not find more than one candidate for nine by-elections from Sindh, during the last five years. PPP was able to win seven seats out of the nine it contested from the province.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement won one seat from Karachi by defeating ANP’s Riaz Gull.
In the seven by-elections held in Balochistan, four seats were taken by PPP candidates. Two seats out of the remaining three went to Nawabzada Tariq Magsi of Jhal Magsi and one to an independent candidate from Lasbela.
The only candidate of PML-N Muhammad Naeem from Jaffarabad was defeated by PPP’s Abdul Rehman Jamali in Balochistan.
In K-P, by-elections took place on 15 seats. PPP’s Muhammad Anwar Khan Advocate won from Upper Dir while Imtiaz Khan Shahgai was elected from Mardan. Another PPP candidate Samiullah Khan Alizai was elected from Dera Ismail Khan.
ANP emerged as the most successful party in the by-elections held for the K-P Assembly. Four candidates of the party –Muhammad Taimoor Khan from Charsadda , Aurangzeb Khan from Peshawar, Rehmat Ali and Sher Shah Khan from Swat – won the bye-elections.
PML-N’s Sardar Shamhoon Yar Khan was elected from Abbottabad.
Registration of voter
1. Any person who is 18-years or above has to submit a voter addition form to the ECP
a. “We are working over the fresh voters registration process so that a person who attains the age [of 18] is registered automatically” - NADRA official
2. After submission of the form, particulars of the applicants are verified by NADRA
3. Following this, the form is also verified by the ECP
4. In the final stage, a new voter is registered
Verification of voter
1. A voter can visit the district office of the ECP and verify his vote or he can check it through the voters’ SMS service
a. Last year, only 15 million registered voters verified their votes, while the rest (70 million) did not avail the service
2. Registered voters can send their CNIC number (without hyphens) via SMS to 8300 anytime from anywhere in the country
3. After sending the SMS, the voter will subsequently receive a message in Urdu containing their name; village, city, tehsil or district; location (electoral area) and the serial number of their vote registered in the preliminary electoral rolls.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 22nd, 2013.
COMMENTS (5)
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I don't know why I am saying this that the next government in Pakistan will be of PML(N), despite the fact that people of Pakistan wishes that the next government should be of PTI.
I have conveyed my conclusion and let's see if I was correct? Only time will speak.
@ citizen. People will t+hink sensibly and will vote for PMLN not for PTI + PPP + PMLQ.
A very lame attempt to project PMLN and PPP, two popular (corrupt) parties.
Dear people of Pakistan . a plea : Please vote sensibly this time . Please this time think for PAKISTAN ,not for self benefits !
The article states: "On the whole, PML-N won 11 seats in the National Assembly, while PPP won 10 in the by-elections held during the five years." If that's the case then both the parties won 50-50 percent, almost even. The headline is a good example of sensationalism and yellow journalism, something we do not expect from the Express Tribune.