KARACHI – Vote count is underway across the 276 polling stations after polling time ended at 5pm in by-election for the hotly-contested NA-249 constituency.
Initial unofficial results show PPP’s Abdul Qadir Mandokhel is leading the race with PML-N’s Miftah Ismail is at second position while PTI’s candidate is far behind.
The Sindh government has declared a public holiday today (Thursday, April 29) for the residents of NA-249 in order to ensure high turnout.
As the country battles with the third wave of the pandemic, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has deployed special teams to ensure the implementation of the SOPs.
Besides 18 independent candidates, PML-N’s Miftah Ismail, PTI’s Amjad Afridi, PPP’S Qadir Khan Mandokhel, Karachi’s former mayor Mustafa Kamal and MQM’s Hafiz Mursaleen are vying for the seat.
There are over 339,000 registered voters in NA-249, including 201,656 male and 137,935 female voters. Out of total 276 polling stations, the ECP has declared 184 polling stations highly sensitive and 92 others sensitive.
The NA-249 constituency fell vacant after Faisal Vawda resigned to contest Senate elections.
Meanwhile, PML-N candidate Miftah Ismail has asked the ECP to extend the polling time by two hours.
PTI leads in Surveys
The ruling PTI is leading in every survey conducted in the NA-249 constituency of Karachi, the party leaders claimed.
کراچی میں NA249 کے انتخابات کے سلسلے میں کئے گئے تمام سروے بتاتے ہیں کہ تحریک انصاف کو تمام جماعتوں پر سبقت حاصل ہے، انشاللہ آن کا دن تحریک انصاف کا دن ہو گا
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 29, 2021
Federal Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said that the PTI will win the election today.
Read more: https://pakobserver.net/pml-n-beats-pti-in-daska-by-election/
