- PTI’s Arbab Aamir secures 47,586 votes, PML-N’s Nasar Ali Khan Musazai bags 25,267, ANP’s Khushdil Khan clinches 25,143 votes, according to unofficial results
PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate, Arbab Aamir, has won the National Assembly-IV (Peshawar) by-election held on Thursday, unofficial and unconfirmed reports indicate.
According to unofficial results, PTI’s Arbab Aamir secured 47,586 votes, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate, Nasar Ali Khan Musazai, bagged 25,267 votes, Khushdil Khan, the candidate for the Awami National Party, stood third by clinching 25,143 votes, while Pakistan People’s Party’s Asad Gulzar managed to secure only 12,014 votes.
Dr Muhammad Shafique Aminee, the candidate for the newly-established Tehrik-e-Labaik made a surprising entry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa electioneering and grabbed t fifth position with 8994 votes.
Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Wasal Farooq could only garner 7,021 votes.
Nevertheless, despite tall claims and tremendous support and sympathies from all over the country, Milli Muslim League backed candidate Haji Liaqat Ali Khan only got 3547 votes.
The National Assembly-IV seat had fallen vacant after the death of PTI MNA Gulzar Khan, father of PPP candidate Asad Gulzar.
The PTI candidate was being supported by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-S and Dr Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehrik, whereas the PML-N candidate was being backed by Maulana Fazalur Rahman’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao’s Quami Watan Party.
According to the Free Fair Election Network (FAFEN), over 41 per cent turnout was recorded in the by-election. It also alleged that its observers were not allowed to monitor the polling process at nine polling stations.
Polling began in the constituency at 8:00 AM with voters using their franchise right at 269 polling stations. The day had been declared a holiday by the deputy commissioner for the convenience of voters.
This is also the first time that electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used in an electoral exercise in the country.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), 100 polling booths used the EVMs alongside the manual voting process.
Apart from 1,400 army personnel, around 4,500 police officials were stationed for security in and around the polling stations.
The total number of registered voters in the constituency is 3,97,904, 2,35,164 male and 1,62,740 female.
As many as 837 polling booths including 492 for men and 345 for women were established. As many as 269 presiding officers, 837 assistant presiding officers and 837 polling officers discharged their duties on the polling day.
NA-IV is comprised of both urban and rural areas with main towns and villages including Hazarkhwani, Urmar, Pandu, Baghwana, Mathani, Tarnab, Badabair and Mathani.
