Karachi   -   In an unexpected win for many, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) secured victory after a tough competition for NA-249 by-election amid allegations of rigging by PML-N, PTI and other parties.

The ECP however rejected claims of rigging and said that vote count in the constituency was not delayed although the results in the constituency, where voter turnout remained at 21.64 percent, were handed over to political parties in the wee hours of Friday.

Addressing a press conference, Bilawal Bhutto thanked people of Karachi especially that of Baldia for supporting the PPP candidate and said that those who were raising hue and cry over their loss and terming it a Daska-2 should inform as to where violent incidents like Daska have been repeated during the Baldia by-poll.

“The PML-N friends should learn to admit their loss. If they have any proof of rigging in NA-249, bring it forward or stay silent,” he said while addressing a presser alongside PPP leaders adding that instead of fighting with the federal government, they [PML-N] want to create a fight within the opposition parties.

He said that both Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Muhammad Zubair were at the DRO office to collect election results. “I would have telephoned Shehbaz Sharif if PML-N secured victory from the constituency,” Bilawal said.

Earlier, top PML-N leaders Shahbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz rejected results claiming rigging, besides lauding enthusiasm with which the party’s candidate Miftah Ismail fought the by-polls.

In a message on Twitter, Maryam Nawaz hinted at challenging the results and said that the tactics to defeat her political party will be exposed soon. The PML-N VP threatened that the lion could not be hunted down so easily, adding that they should remember it and wait for the response. She said that PML-N will take back the right of the citizens.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Karachi chapter leader MPA Khurram Sher Zaman who announced to challenge the results, said polls were rigged with alleged help of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Sindh police,.

ECP utterly failed to conduct transparent by-polls in Karachi and played a partial role during the process, the PTI leader accused.

Zaman said Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz were not campaigning for the by-polls and the survey was showing PTI was going to win.

But all of a sudden Pakistan People’s Party won the seat.

Bilawal said his party had defeated the PTI in every field. “The people of Karachi have rejected the PTI government and we have scored a historic victory in NA-249,” he added.

“The people stand by the opposition and disapprove of the ‘selected’ government.”

Replying to a question on PML-N’s allegations of rigging, the PPP chairman said that “our friends should learn to make peace with the results”.

“Maryam Nawaz’s statement is irresponsible,” he added. “Instead of fighting with [Prime Minister] Imran Khan and the establishment, the PML-N likes to compete with the PPP.”

The PPP chairman said go through the history and see which party had committed the most rigging. “Which party was originally selected? Now it will give us a lecture?” he added

Bilawal described the PML-s reaction to its defeat as “childish”, which would be against its own interests.

“We hunted many birds with one arrow, including a bat, a kite, a dolphin, mullahs and a tiger.”

Bilawal said his party’s move on the opposition alliance -- the Pakistan Democratic Movement -- was based on the decision made by its central executive committee.

“There are some friends in the opposition alliance who do not want to remove Imran Khan and [Punjab CM] Usman Bazdar. So what can we do?”

Bilawal also demanded the resignation of President Arif Alvi and Law Minister Dr Farogh Naseem for filing a false reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

“The entire cabinet of the prime minister is involved in this. There should be an investigation into the conspiracy against Justice Isa.”

As per Form 47, 73,471 votes were cast including 50,259 by male and 23,212 by female, in the constituency, out of the total votes 339,591.

As per Form 47 issued by the ECP of all 276 polling stations and attested by the District Returning Officer (DRO), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Qadir Khan Mandokhail secured 16,156 votes to win the NA-249 Karachi West-II by-election, while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Miftah Ismail got 15,473 votes to remain second.

The PML-N whose candidate Miftah Ismail was the most favourite contender to win the by-poll once again fell short of the winning candidate by just over 600 votes, in a similar way, the party’s president Shahbaz Sharif lost to Faisal Vawda in general elections by 300 votes.

The outlawed TLP’s candidate emerged at third position after Nazir Ahmed bagged 11,126 votes, followed by Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Mustafa Kamal who received 9,227 votes after days of campaigning in the constituency.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) whose candidate Faisal Vawda vacated the seat to join Senate remained at fifth position after its candidate Amjad Afridi obtaining 8,922 votes.

MQM-P candidate Syed Mursaleen came at sixth position with just over 7,511 votes.

Rigging allegations were hurled from PTI, PML-N and other political parties as they blamed the police for interfering in the political process besides claiming that vote count was intentionally slowed.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has however rejected the claims in a statement.

“All presiding officers timely reached the office of returning officer and submitted the form 45 of each polling station,” the election body said adding that results were compiled using the form 45.

The ECP said that speculations regarding a delay in vote count were not true. “Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja was supervising the by-poll from the central control room,” the ECP spokesman said adding that Form-47, comprising a consolidated result, would soon be issued after the final compilation of results as per Form-45.