DASKA/SIALKOT   -  Two people were shot and killed and eight others sustained critical injuries when some ‘unidentified suspects’ opened gunfire near polling station of Ghounki in Daska during NA-75 by-elections.

The victims belong to different political parties, police officials say. Polling for the by-election was taking place when the clash erupted between two political groups.

The decreased persons were identified by police as Majid and Zeeshan. The dead bodies were moved to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Daska for autopsy while the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.

The incident created panic among voters as people rushed to safety amid heavy gunfire. However, a police official told reporters on Friday evening that the situation was fully under control as police arrived at the scene and took positions. The police were investigating the deadly shooting with no arrest made yet. 

Counting underway in 4 constituencies

The election duty staff ended the polling process on scheduled time for the by-elections in four constituencies including two vacant seats of National Assembly (NA) and two seats of the provincial assemblies (PAs) of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Friday.

The polling started at 8:00 am and continued till 5pm without any break. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was conducting by-elections on four vacant seats today which included NA-45 Kurram-I, NA-75 Sialkot-IV, PP-51 Gujranwala-I and PK-63 Nowshera-III.

The seat of NA-75 Tehsil Daska, District Sialkot was vacated after the death of PML-N’s MNA Syed Iftikhar-ud-Din in August 2020. Provincial Assembly seat PP-51 Wazirabad was vacated due to the death of PML-N MPA Chaudhry Shaukat Manzoor Cheema in June 2020 due to coronavirus. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the number of registered voters in the constituency NA-75 was 4,94300.

As many as 360 polling stations were set up out of which 155 were declared sensitive and 25 were highly sensitive. The deputy commissioner had earlier announced a holiday in connection with the by-election of NA-75 Sialkot-IV Daska.

The ECP had established 102 polling stations in the constituency PK-63 to facilitate 141,934 voters including 79,063 men and 62,871 women. 52 polling stations were set up for men, 47 for women and three were combined polling stations. Out of the total, 39 polling stations were declared most sensitive and 35 as sensitive.

 ‘Vote stolen’

Meanwhile, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz late Friday claimed that PML-N workers caught ‘persons working for the PTI red-handed allegedly stealing bagfuls of votes cast in the by-elections for Punjab’s PP-51 (Wazirabad) constituency.

“PTI people caught red-handed stealing bagfuls of votes by PML-N MPA Adil Chatta and Ataa Tarar. Seal was also broken. Police was a part of the plan to steal votes for PTI,” Maryam tweeted. She also shared a number of what she called “bombshell videos” showing PML-N workers accosting two men who allegedly stole a bag of votes from a polling station. Terming it “naked rigging”, Maryam claimed the men were acting at the behest of the PTI.

PML-N candidates were in lead by a considerable margin in NA-75 Sialkot, PP-51 Gujranwala-I and PK-63 Nowshera-III by-elections held on Friday whereas in NA-45 by-poll PTI candidate was ahead of an independent candidate by a thin margin, according to unofficial, preliminary results.

According to preliminary data obtained from 213 polling stations, PML-N was in the lead with 61,571 votes in NA-75.

PTI candidate Ali Asjad Khan had obtained 55,872 votes.

Unofficial results from all polling stations of the Gujranwala constituency PP-51 showed that PML-N’s Begum Talat Mahmood had won with 53,903 votes.

PTI’s Chaudhry Yousuf, meanwhile, came in second place with 48,484 votes.

Although the results were not officially declared by the Election Commission, PML-N workers began celebrating.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz thanked God and shared what she claimed was the “complete result” obtained “despite massive, blatant rigging”.

Unofficial results from all 102 polling stations in the Nowshera constituency showed that PML-N’s Ikhtiyar Wali had won the election with 21,122 votes.

PTI’s Mian Umar managed to obtain 17,023 votes, according to the preliminary results.

Maryam shared a celebratory video, ahead of the official declaration by ECP.

Unofficial results obtained from 103 out of 134 polling stations showed that PTI candidate Malik Fakhar Zaman was ahead with 13,992 votes in NA-45 Kurram-1. Independent candidate Haji Syed Jamal is close behind with 13,579 votes.

From page 1

time for the by-elections in four constituencies including two vacant seats of National Assembly (NA) and two seats of the provincial assemblies (PAs) of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Friday.

The polling started at 8:00 am and continued till 5pm without any break. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was conducting by-elections on four vacant seats today which included NA-45 Kurram-I, NA-75 Sialkot-IV, PP-51 Gujranwala-I and PK-63 Nowshera-III.

The seat of NA-75 Tehsil Daska, District Sialkot was vacated after the death of PML-N’s MNA Syed Iftikhar-ud-Din in August 2020. Provincial Assembly seat PP-51 Wazirabad was vacated due to the death of PML-N MPA Chaudhry Shaukat Manzoor Cheema in June 2020 due to coronavirus. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the number of registered voters in the constituency NA-75 was 4,94300. As many as 360 polling stations were set up out of which 155 were declared sensitive and 25 were highly sensitive. The deputy commissioner had earlier announced a holiday in connection with the by-election of NA-75 Sialkot-IV Daska.

The ECP had established 102 polling stations in the constituency PK-63 to facilitate 141,934 voters including 79,063 men and 62,871 women. 52 polling stations were set up for men, 47 for women and three were combined polling stations. Out of the total, 39 polling stations were declared most sensitive and 35 as sensitive.

‘Vote stolen’

Meanwhile, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz late Friday claimed that PML-N workers caught ‘persons working for the PTI red-handed allegedly stealing bagfuls of votes cast in the by-elections for Punjab’s PP-51 (Wazirabad) constituency.

“PTI people caught red-handed stealing bagfuls of votes by PML-N MPA Adil Chatta and Ataa Tarar. Seal was also broken. Police was a part of the plan to steal votes for PTI,” Maryam tweeted. She also shared a number of what she called “bombshell videos” showing PML-N workers accosting two men who allegedly stole a bag of votes from a polling station. Terming it “naked rigging”, Maryam claimed the men were acting at the behest of the PTI.

PML-N candidates were in lead by a considerable margin in NA-75 Sialkot, PP-51 Gujranwala-I and PK-63 Nowshera-III by-elections held on Friday whereas in NA-45 by-poll PTI candidate was ahead of an independent candidate by a thin margin, according to unofficial, preliminary results.

According to preliminary data obtained from 213 polling stations, PML-N was in the lead with 61,571 votes in NA-75. PTI candidate Ali Asjad Khan had obtained 55,872 votes.

Unofficial results from all polling stations of the Gujranwala constituency PP-51 showed that PML-N’s Begum Talat Mahmood had won with 53,903 votes.

PTI’s Chaudhry Yousuf, meanwhile, came in second place with 48,484 votes.

Although the results were not officially declared by the Election Commission, PML-N workers began celebrating. PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz thanked God and shared what she claimed was the “complete result” obtained “despite massive, blatant rigging”.

Unofficial results from all 102 polling stations in the Nowshera constituency showed that PML-N’s Ikhtiyar Wali had won the election with 21,122 votes.

PTI’s Mian Umar managed to obtain 17,023 votes, according to the preliminary results. Maryam shared a celebratory video, ahead of the official declaration by ECP.

Unofficial results obtained from 103 out of 134 polling stations showed that PTI candidate Malik Fakhar Zaman was ahead with 13,992 votes in NA-45 Kurram-1.