PHOTO: ONLINE
Voting ended on Sunday in a closely contested by-election in Lahore's NA-122 and PP-147 constituencies, and Okara's NA-144 seat.
The race for the parliamentary seat in Lahore pits the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) against the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Read: Who will clinch NA-122? Lahore decides today
PML-N's Sardar Ayaz Sadiq faces off with PTI candidate Aleem Khan in the NA-122 constituency of Lahore.
There are some 347,762 registered voters in the constituency and balloting continued uninterrupted till 5pm. As many as 5,000 policemen were deployed at different polling stations to ensure trouble-free polling. They were assisted by 2,915 army troops.
Ayaz Sadiq retains NA-122
According to unofficial results, PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq, has retained his NA-122 seat after receiving 75,287 votes, just over 4,000 more than PTI's Aleem Khan, who bagged 71,256 votes.
Unofficial results show Sadiq in lead
As Ayaz Sadiq comes close to retain NA-122, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari congratulates Maryam Nawaz
Congratulations @MaryamNSharif
— Aseefa B Zardari (@AseefaBZ) October 11, 2015
Lahore ke SHERO ..... You have put an end to politics of destruction, abuse & accusations. Let's bow our head in gratitude! Alhamdolillah!
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) October 11, 2015
SHER AA NAHI RAHA, SHER AA GAYA HAI ....✌️😀
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) October 11, 2015
11:00pm: According to latest unofficial vote count Ayaz Sadiq has received 68,521 votes while Aleem Khan could grab 64,510 votes.
10:00pm: Ayaz Sadiq maintains lead with 57,412 votes in unofficial results, Express News reports. On the contrary, Aleem Khan has received 53,658 votes.
9:46pm: PML-N's Ayaz Sadiq still leads with 50,050 votes while PTI's Aleem Khan manages to get 47,254 votes, Express News reported.
9:00pm: The 'battle for Lahore' intensifies as Ayaz Sadiq leads with thin margin
8:40pm: Close contest between the candidates as Ayaz Sadiq receives 25,550 votes while PTI's Aleem Khan attains 22,389 votes so far.
8:15pm: According to unofficial result, Ayaz Sadiq has so far received 21,054 votes while PTI's Aleem Khan has bagged 18,533 votes.
7:40pm: PML-N's Ayaz Sadiq stays ahead with 17,394 votes, according to unofficial result.
7:00pm: PML-N's Ayaz Sadiq leads with 7,255 votes, according to unofficial result.
6:30pm: PML-N's Ayaz Sadiq leads with 5,285 votes, according to unofficial result.
PTI urges voters to wait for official results
Our voters were out today, out in big numbers. Do not give in to spin, wait for official results #BallayPeThappa pic.twitter.com/zG9eRjbRss
— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 11, 2015
See through misleading information, do not let them demotivate you. Be an aware audience. #BallayPeThappa pic.twitter.com/8l8Q7uwT3G
— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 11, 2015
NA-122: May the best hashtag win
With the battle for the ‘throne of Lahore’ (NA-122) currently underway, one look at Twitter’s Pakistan trends shows us how political parties have begun to take social media as a serious electioneering tool.
Read the full story here.
Polling ends
As the clock struck 5pm, polling came to a stop in the constituencies.
The vote count is currently underway.
Reham Khan urges people to 'step out and vote'
With one hour left for voting, PTI chairman's wife Reham Khan urges people to "step out and vote."
"A win for PTI in NA-122 will be a win not for an individual but a win for the demand of fair and free elections," she says.
Step out & vote. A win for PTI in NA122 will be a win not for an individual but a win for the demand of fair & free elections. #ImranKhan
— Reham Khan (@RehamKhan1) October 11, 2015
The battle for the throne of Lahore
The NA-122 electoral contest appears to be extraordinary in many respects. Firstly, the two major national parties, the PTI and the PML-N, have put too much of their political capital at stake in this constituency.
Read Rasul Bakhsh Rais's 'The battle for the throne of Lahore'
PTI chief to visit Lahore
PTI chairman Imran Khan says he will visit Lahore. “I will definitely come to Lahore but haven't decided about the timing as yet, discussing with my team,” Imran says.
I will definitely come to Lahore but hasn't decided about the timing as yet,discussing with my team @ImranKhanPTI #BallayPeThappa
— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 11, 2015
Police bars PTI candidate Aleem Khan’s wife from entering polling station
Police bars PTI candidate Aleem Khan’s wife from entering Basti Sedan Shah polling station, Express News reports.
“Our voters are being sent back after being told their names aren’t on the lists,” she said, while speaking to the media.
Election staff directed to keep ECP updated of latest by-polls situation
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Sardar Raza Khan has directed the election staff to keep the election commission aware of the latest by-elections situation.
"By-elections are extremely important and no slackness on the part of election staff will be tolerated," the CEC said, according to Radio Pakistan.
Further, he expressed satisfaction over the election arrangements so far.
Hamza Ali Abbasi visits polling stations to support PTI
Hamza Ali Abbasi out on ground to support PTI to motivate voter,every PTI supporter doing their bit #BallayPeThappa pic.twitter.com/Al8RCdtElG
— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 11, 2015
25 of 210 polling stations in NA-144 declared sensitive
Of 210 polling stations in NA-144, 25 have been declared sensitive.
At least four soldiers are deployed in each polling station while CCTV cameras have also been installed.
In NA-144, PML-N's Ali Arif Chaudhry, PTI's Ashraf Sohna and an independent candidate, Riazul Haq, are contesting.
'The battle for Lahore'
Whoever successfully rigs today’s election in Lahore genuinely deserves a Sitara-e-Imtiaz.
Steps have been taken and measures introduced. CCTV cameras are spying inside every polling station and army troops stand guard everywhere, watching everything that moves. Imran Khan’s workers have been crash-coursed into anti-rigging monitoring and the Election Commission staff is extra vigilant knowing the stakes. In short, the NA-122 by-election is turning out to be the most monitored polls in recent memory.
Read Fahd Hussain's 'The Battle for Lahore'
Scuffle breaks out between PTI, PML-N supporters
A scuffle has broken out between supporters of PML-N and PTI in Basti Saidan of Lahore, Express News reports.
Activists of both the parties traded blows and uprooted each other's political camps. However, the situation was soon brought under control as Pakistan Army soldiers reached the spot and appeased political workers from both sides.
The scuffle between the PML-N and PTI activists occurred at polling booths 89, 90, 91, 92 and 95; however, the polling process continued without any hindrance.
I am positive that I will win: Aleem Khan
PTI candidate for NA-122 Aleem Khan says he has asked his voters to use PML-N’s transportation to get to their polling booths but to vote with their conscience.
I have told my voters use N leagues transportation to get to your polling booths if you must but vote with your conscience @aleemkhan_pti
— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 11, 2015
"People are fed up by the PML-N's empty slogans," said PTI's Aleem Khan. "I am positive that I will win," he says, according to Reuters.
Further, the PTI candidate and party leader Jehangir Tareen express satisfaction over appropriate security arrangements taken for polling.
Imran Khan destined to lose: Ayaz Sadiq
PML-N candidate Sardar Ayaz Sadiq says the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan is destined to lose in the elections.
“I pray that Imran learns to respect others,” the PML-N leader says, after casting his vote in Shaikh Sardar High School in Garhi Shahu area. He claims his party will win the NA-122 by-poll.
Sadiq adds that his party activists have been advised to keep away from violence, adding that he will accept the result of the elections.
Further, Sadiq tells Reuters that the race was a battle to "prove the very legitimacy of the 2013 election."
Former Punjab governor claims CCTV cameras not working
Former Punjab governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar accuses PML-N of using state machinery in the campaign for NA-122 by-elections, Express News reported.
Sarwar claims that CCTV cameras installed at polling stations were not functional.
"I am concerned. We were told that cameras inside the polling stations will be working but they are not," he says.
PTI vs PML-N
A vociferous election campaign for NA-122 (Lahore V) marked by verbal duels between leaders of the ruling party and a leading opposition group ended on the night between Friday and Saturday, but the two sides took to social media to lure in voters hours before polling.
Read: NA-122 by-election: Imran warns ruling party against rigging
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate, had won the seat by defeating Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan in the 2013 parliamentary election. Imran, however, challenged Sadiq’s election, alleging electoral fraud in the constituency. After a marathon legal battle, Imran won the case when an election tribunal unseated Sadiq after finding irregularities in his election. On Sunday, Sadiq, who is hoping to regain the office of speaker National Assembly, will face Aleem Khan of PTI in a hotly contested by-election.
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