(Karachi) Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Nosheen Iftikhar has won the NA-75 Daska by-election, beating Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Ali Asjad Malhi by a big margin, local media reported.
As per unofficial results of 360 polling stations, PML-N’s Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar won the contest by securing 110,075 votes against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Ali Asjad Malhi who bagged 93,433, while Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s Khalil Sandhu received 8,268 votes.
According to the ECP, there were a total of 494,003 registered voters, including 273,006 male and 220,997 female voters, in the constituency. Of the 360 polling stations, 47 were declared sensitive.
Voter turnout remained a disappointing 43.33 percent. Among men, the turnout was 45.1percent, while turnout among women was slightly lower at 41.2 percent.
The NA-75 seat fell vacant after the death of PML-N MNA Syed Iftikharul Hassan aka Zahry Shah in August 2020. In the 2018 general election, Hassan had secured 101,617 votes against PTI’s Malhi who bagged 61,727 votes.
Earlier, the Supreme Court rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's appeal challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) order of re-polling in NA-75 Daska.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial announced the verdict. The bench was hearing a petition filed by PTI leader Ali Asjad Malhi challenging ECP's order for re-polling in the entire NA-75 constituency.
The SC had suspended re-polling on NA-75 Daska scheduled to be held on April 10. The top court had said that it needed more time to decide the case.
The by-elections held in the Sialkot constituency on February 19, was marred by deadly clashes between workers of the PTI and Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) as well as the disappearance of around 20 presiding officers.
While hearing an appeal by PML-N candidate Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, the ECP had declared the by-poll as null and void.
The ECP had ordered that fresh elections be held in Daska.