LAHORE: The leaders of different political parties, including the candidates, reached the polling stations in their constituencies to cast their votes in ongoing by-polls 2018 on Sunday.
Prime Minister Imran Khan used his ballot in NA-53 Islamabad, where his vote was registered in a polling station set up in a school in Mohra Noor School in Bani Gala.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique and candidate cast his vote in NA-131, from where he is contesting against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Humayun Akhtar.
Talking to the media persons after casting his vote in NA -131’s polling station of Girls High School Defence, he said that PML-N workers were arrested, while rumours of mine and my mother arrest were floated.
“Masses will give their verdict today in favour of PML-N today,” said Khawaja Saad.
Saad Rafique said that workers of ECP are less trained, no delay in the results will be tolerated this time, he added. “We are not afraid of being arrested, said Khawaja Saad adding that suspension of passports by NAB is beyond understanding, we are not running anywhere.”
Further, Punjab Assembly speaker Pervez Elahi along with his son and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Moonis Elahi voted in NA-69 at a government school in Gujrat.
PTI leader and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser also used his ballot at a government school in the PK-44 constituency in Marghuz, Swabi.
Meanwhile, in Karachi, Pak Sar Zameen (PSP) Chairman Mustafa Kamal cast his vote at polling station 74 in Gulshan-e-Iqbal of NA-243 constituency. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Amir Chishti, who is also contesting the elections, cast his vote in polling station 111 of the same constituency.
PTI leader Ali Nawaz Khan cast his vote in NA-53 Islamabad, while another leader of the same party, Mansoor Khan, used his ballot in NA-63 Rawalpindi.
The voting for by-elections on 35 national and provincial assembly seats started at 8am on Sunday, with over 300 candidates, including some famous politicians, in the running.
Over 9.9 million ballot papers have been printed for the by-polls as the polling will continue until 5pm without a break.
The seats include 11 from National Assembly, nine from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly, 11 from Punjab and two each from Balochistan and Sindh assemblies.
According to data provided by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), over 5 million registered voters, including 2.3 million women and over 2.7 million men, will cast their votes in 7,489 polling stations across the country, of which 1,727 polling stations have been declared sensitive.
