LAHORE/RAWALPINDI - The ruling coalition of PML-N and PPP has once again outclassed the PML-Q. This time in by-elections though the voting was marred by low turnout and sporadic violent incidents. In Rawalpindi, PML-N candidates Haji Pervaiz Khan and Capt (r) Muhammad Safdar have been declared as winners from NA-52 and 55 constituencies in by-elections, according to unofficial results announced by Returning Officers (ROs). Safdar thrashed PML-Q stalwart Raja Muhammad Nasir by getting 54,917 votes from NA-52, while Raja Nasir could obtain only 22,773 votes. The other candidate of PML-N from NA-55 Haji Pervaiz Khan was declared as returned candidate with 25,237 votes after defeating his rivals Ijaz Khan Jazzi and Muhammad Gulzar Awan of Aman Party. In NWFP, PPP secured the single National Assembly and two Provincial Assembly seats, while two Provincial Assembly seats each went to ANP independent candidates, according to unofficially results of the by-elections, held in NWFP. The polling was held amid tight police security arrangements and no untoward incident was reported. According to unofficial results, the single vacant seat of NA-11 Mardan-III was won by Khanzada Khan, a joint candidate of PPP, ANP and PML-N by getting 20,580 votes, who defeated his rival nominee of the JUI-F Tajur Amin Jabal in the by-elections. Similarly, the PPP's provincial candidate for PF-92 Upper Dir, Badsha Saleh won by securing 13,134 votes. Sher Shah Khan, the ANP nominee for the vacant seat of PF-81 Swat succeeded in securing the Provincial Assembly seat by obtaining 7731 votes against his opponent of PPP Afzal Shah, who obtained 5264 votes. The PF-92 Upper Dir seat went again to the PPP's contender Anwar Khan Advocate, who clinched 14742 votes in the run. The ANP candidate Taimur Khan, who obtained 8351 votes, won PF-20, while independent candidate from PF-75 Khalid Raza Zakori won the seat by securing 7500 votes. Similarly, the Provincial Assembly seat PF-59 Batagram was won again by an independent candidate Taj Mohammad Khan. In Swat, polling for the by-elections was held peacefully. Despite the fact that all the contesting candidates had agreed to permit women to cast their votes, however, not a single female came out for casting vote in the by- polls. Qaisar Iqbal Sandhu, joint candidate of ruling coalition, won the by-election in PP-99 Gujranwala IX by beating former provincial minister of PML-Q Dr Sohail Zafar Cheema. Sandhu had taken unbeatable lead of 29,554 after counting of 98 out of 116 polling stations and workers of PPP had started celebrations in the suburban villages. The polling in this sensitive area of the district remained peaceful and strict security measures were adopted to deal with any untoward incident as half of the polling stations had been declared sensitive. PML-N candidate Rana Afzal won the MNA seat in NA-131 with overwhelming majority as he bagged 1,25,217 votes out of total 2,22,425 votes. PML-Q candidate Brig (r) Zulfiqar Ahmad Dillu had already boycotted the polls on the pretext of  alleged rigging. The other candidate Imran Ashraf PPP Shaheed Bhutto Group and an independent candidate Ahmad Atiq Anwar, bagged 4,163 and 6,456 votes respectively. Afzal is the younger brother of PML-N MNA Rana Tanvir Hussain who after retaining NA-132 seat had vacated this seat. In PP-171 in district Nankana Sahib, PML-N candidate Rana Muhammad Arshad defeated his rival Iftikhar Hussain Dogar PML-Q candidate with a big margin. With as many 27,829 votes Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa of PML-N was elected MPA from PP-243 in Dera Ghazi Khan for the record nineth time. His rival independent contestant Sardar Mohammad Khan Leghari secured 12,164 votes with 19 votes by independent contestant Hakeem Moin-ul-Din Qureshi, 76 votes by Sardar Sala-ul-Din Khan Khosa while other independent contestant Mohammad Haneef Khalid obtained 24 votes as many as 444 votes were rejected. PML-N cadidate Rana Sanaullah has won from PP-70 in Faisalabad with 23,070 votes. PPP's Zulfiqar Gondal won from PP-118 Mandi Bahauddin by securing 19,909 votes. PML-N's Rana Shamim Ahmed Khan won from PP-124 by obtaining 24,994 votes. PML-N's Rana M Arshid won from PP-171 and PML-N's Sardar Wajid Ali defeated his rival in PP-229. Fida Hussain of PML-N  won by-election from PP-277 PPP's Syed Pir Amir Ali Shah and Sharjeel Inam Memon won (uncontested) from PS-44 and PS-62 respectively. Pir Abdul Qadir Gilani (Ind) won from PB-44. Meanwhile, at least 13 people were injured when supporters of rival candidates traded fire and used batons in PP-219 constituency of Jahanian on Thursday. The PP-219 seat was vacated by Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the foreign minister, who retained his National Assembly seat from Multan. Now nine candidates contested for the PP-219 seat. But the real competition was between PPP nominee Makhdoom Mureed Hussain Qureshi (brother of Shah Mehmood Qureshi) and Karam Dad Wahla, an independent candidate who had contested in Feb 18 elections on the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) ticket and lost. The polling in the PP-219 constituency was started at 8am and completed in peaceful manner but some clashes and aerial firing incidents were reported in villages: 110/10R, 115/10R, 104/10R, 146/10R and Basti Jalalabad. About a dozen supporters of both the parties were injured. Police arrested five people: Siddique, Abid Hussain, Mumtaz Hussain, Mushtaq Sindhu and Asif for creating mayhem during the process of polling. Agencies add: The sporadic incidents of violence took place in Chak Nos 146/10-R, 115/10-R and 110/10-R. Police said firing in Chak No 110/10-R led to the suspension of polling for one and a half hours. On receiving information about the firing incident, DCO Qazi Muhammad Ashfaq, DPO Kamran Khan and DSP Khanewal Sadar Malik Ijaz, escorted by a heavy contingent of police, reached the troubled spots and the situation was brought under control. The polling restarted after suspension for about 90 minutes. Some miscreants, police said, allegedly subjected presiding officer at Chak No 110/10-R polling station, Ch Habibullah, to violence. The polling staff told media persons that till 2 pm some 30 percent voters had cast their votes. By and far the balloting was smooth and peaceful, they said. Election Commission Secretary Kanwar Dilshad told AFP that polling was peaceful everywhere except Jehanian. "The commission immediately took notice of the situation in Jehanian and it was brought under control," election commission secretary Kanwar Dilshad told AFP. "Security is on high alert and the provincial governments have taken special measures to maintain law and order during the polling," he said. "We urge the people to go to polling stations and cast their votes and fulfill their national duty." Dilshad said polling was being conducted in an "absolutely, transparent, fair and just manner." Meanwhile, counting of votes has begun after completion of polling for by-elections at 5 PM on Thursday. The by-polls were held for five National Assembly and 23 provincial assemblies seats. Violence erupted in some polling stations. The polling process started at 8 am in the morning and continued till 5 pm without any break. Foreign observers visited various polling stations in NA-55 and expressed satisfaction over facilities provided by the government. Talking to a private TV channel, observer group members said security was beefed up and a low voter turnout was observed in the morning. There are 341 candidates for the national and provincial assembly seats, out of which 59 are contesting for the National Assembly seats. While in a provincial break-up, 171 candidates are vying for the 12 vacant seats of Punjab Assembly, 68 for seven NWFP PA seats, 25 for three Balochistan PA seats and eight candidates for the single seat of Sindh Assembly. PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif has been barred from taking part in these elections and there will be no voting for his constituency NA 123 Lahore after the Supreme Court stayed the by-election in this constituency. Noted among the eight candidates who returned unopposed include: Mian Shahbaz Sharif from PP-10 (Rawalpindi) and PP-48 (Bhakkar), Faryal Talpur (Asif Ali Zardari's sister) from NA-207, Hamza Shahbaz from NA-119 and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani's son Abdul Qadir Gilani from PP-295.