RY WAHEED
HAFIZABAD - Nighat Intisar of PTI won the by-election from PP-107, tehsil Pindi Bhattian, defeating Sarfraz Khan Bhatti of PML-N.
According to unofficial results, Nighat Intisar got 44,033 votes while Sarfraz Khan Bhatti bagged 38,732 votes. There were 175,339 registered voters in the constituency. Earlier, the polling was completed in all the 154 polling stations amid a tense situation and tight security. No serious incident was reported. However, Altaf Hussain, the presiding officer of Sakhi polling station, was thrashed by a PML-N MPA and his bodyguards when they visited the polling station in an attempt to cast bogus votes. The police present there failed to take any action against the accused.
Polling at Madhora Kalan remained suspended for more than 45 minutes when a scuffle arose between the supporters of the two rival parties when the PTI district president himself caught the PML-N MNA’s son stamping ballot papers outside the polling station, but the police did not take any action against the accused.
Clashes between the workers of PTI and PML-N were also reported from Kaseesay and Pindi Bhattian polling stations. Only one villager Yasir was arrested by the police for casting bogus votes. Both PTI and PML-N leaders traded allegations of casting bogus votes. The turnout was very thin.
Meanwhile, in an untoward incident that took place in Pindi Bhattian scores of PTI workers surrounded PML-N MPA Salma Butt and pushed her when she arrived at a polling station. However, she managed to leave the scene in her car.
The mob misbehaved with the woman politician, a day after she slapped PTI male MPA Asif Mahmood at the Punjab Assembly allegedly for offering ‘derogatory remarks’ against her leader. Display of arms by the ruling PML-N workers was also witnessed at some polling stations.
Later, talking to a private news channel, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that those who displayed arms would be arrested, adding that Rangers and Elite Police commandos had been deployed at the polling stations in Hafizabad.
He alleged PTI workers were involved in casting bogus votes. About the thrashing of a presiding officer by a PML-N MPA, the minister said action would be taken against the lawmaker according to the law.