ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Friday announced the official results of the country's largest by-polls and the ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) once again topped the electoral race by winning 18 of the 39 national and provincial assembly seats.
The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the Awami National Party (ANP), which had fared poorly in the general elections despite being in the ruling coalition for five years, seem to be awakening while the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf's (PTI) 'tsunami' seems to have receded.
It is interesting to note that the highest voter turnout was recorded in Balochistan's Jhal Magsi constituency at 70.06 percent whereas the lowest turnout was recorded in Sialkot at 18 percent.
According to the official by-election results released by the ECP, PML-N's Mian Abdul Manan won Faisalabad's NA-83 seat against PTI's Faizullah Kamoka by securing 47,107 votes.
Similarly, Mian Shahid Hussain Khan Bhatti of PML-N won the by-polls in Hafizabad's NA-103 constituency against PTI competitor Shaukat Ali Bhatti by securing 78,113 votes.
PML-N's Shazia Mubashar defeated Muhammad Mansha Sindhu of PTI in Lahore's NA-129 constituency by securing 44,894 votes.
PTI's Aqibullah won the NA-13 seat in Swabi against JUI-F's candidate Attaul Haq with 43,333 votes.
PPP's Shamasunnisa won the NA-237 seat in Thatta by securing 84,819 votes against Syed Riaz Shah of PML-N.
Muhammad Ali Rashid of MQM was declared winner over PTI competitor Muhammad Naeem in Karachi's NA-254 constituency. The MQM candidate secured 53,045 votes.
The ANP improved its presence in the NA as former railways minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour defeated PTI's Gul Badshah on the Peshawar seat (NA-1) that had been won by Imran Khan in May. The ANP candidate bagged 34,386 votes.
The PTI retained its NA seat from the federal capital (NA-48) that had been vacated by Makhdoom Javed Hashmi. PTI's Asad Umar managed to retain the seat by defeating PML-N's Ashraf Gujjar with 48,073 votes.
PML-N's Sardar Shafqat Hayat Khan won the NA-68 (Sargodha) seat that had been vacated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by securing 67,888 votes against independent candidate Javaid Hasnain Shah.
Similarly, PML-N's Obaidullah Shadikhel gave a major shock to the PTI in Mianwali's NA-71 constituency by winning the home seat of Imran Khan with 95,210 votes against PTI's Malik Waheed Khan.
In Muzaffargarh (NA-177), PPP's Malik Noor Rabbani Khar won the seat that had been vacated by Jamshed Dasti who had won as an independent candidate. The PPP candidate bagged 69,903 votes.
The election commission ordered re-polling in two NA constituencies on a directive of the high court after reports that women had been barred from voting in NA-5 Nowshera and NA-27 Lakki Marwat.
Punjab Assembly
Chaudhry Sarfaraz Afzal of PML-N won Rawalpindi's PP-6 seat against PTI competitor Wasiq Qayum Abbassi by securing 30,588 votes. Similarly, PML-N's Azad Ali Tabassum won in Faisalabad's PP-51 constituency defeating Muhammad Ajmal Cheema of PTI with 39,676 votes.
PML-N's Akhtar Abbas Bosal won the by-election in MB Din III's PP-118 constituency with 31,572 votes against PTI candidate Liaquat Ali Ranjha. PML-N candidate Khawaja Muhammad Manshaullah Butt won Sialkot's PP-123 seat defeating Muhammad Dawood Khan of PTI with 21,963 votes.
Khawaja Salman Rafiq of PML-N won the PP-142 seat in Lahore against PTI candidate Waqar Ahmed with 17,369 votes. PML-N's Mian Marghoob Ahmed defeated Mehr Wajid Azeem of PTI in Lahore's PP-150 constituency by securing 18,870 votes.
Chaudhry Gulzar Ahmed Gujjar won in Lahore's PP-161 constituency against PTI candidate Chaudhry Khalid Mehmood Gujjar by bagging 27,788 votes. Khurram Jehangir Wattoo of PPP won the PP-193 seat in Oakara against PML-N candidate Noor-ul Amin Watoo with 35,065 votes.
PML-N's M Zubair Khan won the PP-210 seat in Lodhran against PTI candidate Syed Khursheed Khan by securing 36,788 votes. Rana Babar of PML-N won Khanewal's PP-217 seat against PTI candidate Maqsood Alam with 49,402 votes.
PTI candidate Ahmed Ali Khan Darishak won in DG Khan's PP-243 constituency against Sardar Ashsamuddin of PML-N by bagging 23,099 votes. Sardar Ali Raza Khan Darishak of PTI won the PP-247 seat in Rajanpur defeating PML-N candidate Abdul Qadir Khan by securing 46,239 votes.
Hamid Nawaz of PML-N was declared winner over PPP competitor Irshad Ahmed Khan in Muzaffargarh's PP-254 constituency. The PML-N candidate bagged 23,182 votes. Raees Mahmood defeated Mian Muhammad Aslam in Rahim Yar Khan's PP-289 constituency by bagging 30,687 votes. PPP's Makhdoom Syed Ali Akbar win the by-poll in Rahim Yar Khan's PP-292 constituency by defeating Maulvi Tariq Chohan with 41,874 votes.
Sindh Assembly
PPP's Abid Hussain Bhaio won the polls receiving 34,719 votes from PS-12 Shikarpur-II constituency of Sindh. Independent candidate Ameer Ali Jatoi secured the second highest number of votes. MQM’s Dr Zafar Ali Kamali secured 29,969 votes and won the PS-64 Mirpurkhas-I seat, defeating PPP's Abdul Saeed Qureshi. Elections were earlier delayed in the constituency due to the passing away of a candidate before the May 2013 elections.
Another MQM candidate Muhammad Hussain Khan grabbed 43,304 votes from Karachi's PS-95 constituency followed by PPP's Muhammad Jamil Zia who received 1,934 votes. Polling was postponed during the May 2013 elections in the constituency after a PPP candidate was gunned down. Muhammad Abdul Rauf Siddiqui also belonging to the MQM won with 24,084 votes from PS-103 constituency of Karachi followed by PTI's Sultan Ahmed with 4,124 votes.
Balochistan Assembly
Haji Muhammad Khan Lehri of PML-N secured 19,512 votes winning the by-election from Balcohistan's Nasirabad PB-29 constituency. He was followed by independent candidate Mir Amin Umrani.
In Jhal Magsi's PB-32 constituency, independent candidate Nawabzada Tariq Magsi was announced winner with 26,242 votes. PML-N backed Sardar Dhani Baksh Lashari secured the second highest number of votes. Prince Ahmad Ali, another PML-N candidate received 28,180 votes from PB-44 Lasbela constituency and was declared the winner. PPP's Nasrullah Roonja was at second place.
Khyber Pakhtunkwa Assembly
ANP's Ahmad Khan Bahadur won from PK-23 Mardan by securing 13,606 votes, while PTI's Umer Farooq was at second place with 12,869 votes. Jamshed Khan, an independent candidate, secured 26,699 votes from Mardan's PK-27 constituency whereas JI candidate Fazal Rabbani was runners up with 10,484 votes.
Another independent candidate Shah Faisal Khan won the by-polls in Hangu's PK-42 constituency with 38,391 votes whereas independent Syed Hussain was at second place. JUI-F backed Azam Khan Durrani bagged 24,291 to win the by-polls held in Bannu's PK-70 constituency, followed by PTI's Malik Adnan Khan at second place.