PML-N’s Shaista Malik clinches NA-133 by-poll

LAHORE: PML-N candidate Shaista Pervaiz Malik on Sunday clinched the by-election for NA-133 constituency, defeating Aslam Gill of the PPP with a considerable margin.

Unofficial, preliminary results showed PML-N’s Shaista Pervaiz Malik securing 46,811 votes while PPP’s Aslam Gill was runner’s up by securing 32,313 votes.

Ruling PTI fielded no candidate as the nomination papers of its two candidates had been rejected by the Returning Officer.

The NA-133 is considered a stronghold of the PML-N and this constituency had fallen vacant after the death of PML-N MNA Pervaiz Malik who died of heart complications on October 11. With Shaista’s win, the PML-N has won the constituency for the fourth consecutive time.

The polling started at 8am this morning and continued till 5pm without any break after which the gates to the polling stations were closed off to any more voters.

Polling stations saw a vote or two cast in the morning hours which increased to a few more by the afternoon. When time for polling to end began to draw close, voter participation improved slightly.

According to the Punjab election commission, there are 254 polling stations in the constituency, including 22 polling stations of A category, 198 of B category and 34 polling stations of C category.

Of these, 199 polling stations were declared sensitive. Around 200 separate polling stations have been set up for men and women and 54 mixed polling stations have also been set up.

The total number of voters in the NA-133 constituency is 440,485, of which 233,585 are male voters and 206,927 female voters.

There were 11 candidates contesting the polls, including the former seat holder’s widow, Shaista Pervaiz Malik, and PPP’s Aslam Gill.

The PPP actively campaigned for the NA-133 by-election in Lahore, which is considered a stronghold of the rival PML-N, in the hopes of reviving the party in Punjab.

The PML-N has retained the seat thrice in the past with Pervaiz Malik winning it in 2018 with 89,699 votes, Waheed Alam Khan in 2013 with over 100,000 votes and Naseer Bhutta in 2008 with a margin of over 32,000 votes.

After the Election Commission of Pakistan rejected the nomination papers of PTI candidate Jamshed Iqbal Cheema and his covering candidate, his wife Mussarat Cheema, no PTI candidate is in the race, making the election a cakewalk for the PML-N nominee.

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