Lahore, Pakistan: Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PMLN) has won by-election of NA-120 after bagging 61,254 votes according to unofficial results while her competitor Dr. Yasmeen Rashid of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) got 47,066 votes. Lead of PMLN was 14,188 votes.
Kulsoom Nawaz got 19.03 percent of total registered vote of the constituency. Turn out of votes was around 33% in this by-election.
Aap sab ko mubarak ho ….. bcoz your commitment & passion have defeated the indefeasible. Well done! #PowerOfVote pic.twitter.com/SahVeX2DGM
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) September 17, 2017
In her winning speech, Maryum Nawaz who is daughter of Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif said that her party won election against conspirators and stated that conspiracies against her party were yet to be ended.
Result of NA-120 indicates that voters of PMLN stand with party despite of disqualification of former Prime Minister and party head Mian Nawaz Sharif by Supreme Court of Pakistan.
“Political battle is won and PMLN retained its seat and this indicates maturity of voters and democracy in Pakistan”, said a senior journalist when asked to comment on final results of NA-120
Control room situation 🐅 pic.twitter.com/QYzikZWrb3
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) September 17, 2017
She claimed that their local leaders were abducted a night before polling day from Lahore but she did not mention who abducted them. It is pertinent to mention that PMLN has in government in province of Punjab as well as in Federal government.
Victory celebrations at PMLN secretariat, Model Town 🎉 #NA120SirfSherKa pic.twitter.com/pX8Pe4lW2a
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) September 17, 2017
As many as 42 candidates including 32 independents contested election making very lengthy ballot paper therefore ballot boxes were filled by afternoon in most polling stations and second and third ballot boxes were filling by the end of the polling time.
Yet these brave voters came out against all odds & narrowed the margin of votes between me & Kulsoom Nawaz tremendously#PTIkaNA120
— Dr. Yasmin Rashid (@Dr_YasminRashid) September 17, 2017
Polling process was very slow and low till afternoon and geared up by 5 pm.
It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) fielded Begum Kulsoom Nawaz while Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) repeated Dr Yasmin Rashid who lost election against disqualified former prime minister Nawaz Sharif but got reasonable vote. She bagged 52,000 votes in general election of year 2013 while Nawaz Sharif won by bagging 92,000 plus votes.
Right wing parties including Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Milli Muslim League (MML) also fielded their candidates. It may be mentioned that PMLN is being considered as Right Wing party and against whose Right Wing and Left Wing political parties separately fielded candidates.
Strict security measures were seen in all over the constituency where police Pakistan Rangers and Pakistan Army kept alert for maintain smooth polling process.
It is important to mention 321,786 registered voters including 179,642 male and 142,144 female were allowed to poll their vote. However, turn out of voters looked low.
As many as 220 polling stations including 103 for male, 98 for female and 19 combined were set up Election Commission of Pakistan where security arrangements were looked after by Pakistan Army. 573 polling booths were set up according to polling scheme for today’s by-election.
