PESHAWAR, Pakistan: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has significantly lost its vote bank in NA-4 by-election as compared to 2013 despite easy win by its Candidate Arbab Amir Ayub Khan whereas the votes bank of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Awami National Party (ANP) has increased manifold.
Unofficial results of NA-4 by election clearly indicated that a significant drop in the votes’ bank of ruling coalition partners PTI and Jumaat-e-Islami (JI) were registered in the Constituency.
Whereas the vote bank of PML-N and ANP has significantly increased as compared to 2013 general elections that showed rise in the popularity graph of both the opposition parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The PTI Candidate Arbab Amir Ayub has clinched NA-4 seat by securing 47,586 votes in yesterday’s NA- 4 by-election while earlier PTI’s late MNA Gulzar Ahmed secured 55, 134 votes in 2013 general elections, registering a significant decrease of 7,548 votes in the vote bank of PTI.
On the other side, PML-N Candidate Nasir Khan Musazai has secured 25,247 votes in by-election whereas 20,412 votes obtained by him in 2013 that registered a major increase of 4,835 votes.
ANP’s votes has also increased manifolds in this by-election as its Candidate Khushdil Khan bagged 25,143 votes whereas prior to it, ANP’s late Arbab Ayub Jan received 15, 795 votes in 2013, showing a noteworthy increase of 9,348 votes.
Likewise, the vote bank of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has slightly improved as its Candidate Asad Gulzar Khan, son of late PTI MNA Gulzar, clinched only 12,802 votes; however, PPP’s Misbahuddin Khan got around 1,200 votes in 2013 general elections.
JI that was enjoying coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with PTI lost its vote bank in by-election after its candidate Wasil Farooq Khan obtained about 7,409 votes against JI’s Sabir Awan garnered 16,493 votes in 2013 general elections.
Political observers said that although PTI easily won the seat but significant decrease in vote bank of PTI and JI have put a question mark on the performance and policies of both the coalition partners in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
