LAHORE – Leaders of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has claimed victory in by-election for NA-75 Daska, which remained a hot constituency during yesterday’s by-polls in four areas, despite the Elections Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is unsure about the results.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology took to Twitter and extended congratulations to PTI’s candidate Ali Sajid Malhi for securing victory but at the same time, he urged the ECP to announce the final results and do not test the patience of PTI workers.
علی اسجد ملہی کو ڈسکہ کا معرکہ سر کرنے کی مبارک الیکشن کمیشن فوری طور پر نتیجے کا اعلان کرے، #PTI کے کارکنان کے صبر کو نہ آزمایا جائے احترام قانون کا ہو گا نون کا نہیں۔۔۔۔
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) February 20, 2021
Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan also claimed a victory, announcing that PTI’s candidate won the election with a margin of 7,827 votes. She also accused the PML-N of hooliganism and holding the Returning Officer hostage to stop him from announcing the results.
Earlier in the day, the top election body issued a statement on the delay and suspension of results, suspecting vote-rigging in the by-elections for the NA-75.
The ECP withheld the results after the PML-N moved it amid a controversy that 23 presiding officers had allegedly ‘gone missing’ yesterday night following the polls.
Application to Chief Election Commissioner to withhold NA75 result till investigation of 23 missing Presiding Officers abducted by administration & determination of authencity of results submitted by them by PMLN candidate Nosheen Iftikhar. Gross irregularities. pic.twitter.com/N2UCnRzoGC
— Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) February 20, 2021
After a long delay, the presiding officers appeared with the polling bags by 6am (Saturday) nearly 13 hours after the polling concluded at 5pm on Friday.
The DRO and RO suspected that the results of 20 polling stations in the NA-75 by-election have been rigged, the ECP said, adding that it is not possible to issue the final result of the constituency without conducting an inquiry.
By-election were held in four national and provincial assembly constituencies – NA-75, Sialkot-IV Daska, PP-51 Gujranwala I, NA-45 Kurram I and PK-63 Nowshera – on Friday.
The seats fell vacant due to the demises of lawmakers.
As per the unofficial results, a PTI candidate won NA-45 by-election, while PML-N candidates secured victory in PP-51 and PK-63.
